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ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
How do predators shape ecosystems and evolution?
How do predators shape ecosystems and evolution?
I study the ecological and evolutionary effects of predator loss and recovery, and how this knowledge can improve conservation. I do this by connecting ecological and evolutionary theory with field data.
Current locations of research projects:
Yellowstone: How the return of wolves and other large carnivores affects the park’s ecosystem.
Trinidad: How guppies evolve when predation changes.
Oceanic islands: How bird colonisation and the absence of predators can shape species over time.
Predators, prey and evolution
Predators, prey and evolution
Changing predator numbers can shape how prey live and evolve. In northern Trinidad, guppies living alongside predatory fish are scarce, with high metabolic rates and behaviours that help them avoid being eaten. When guppy populations are moved to predator-free streams, they can rapidly evolve lower metabolic rates and traits suited to slower lives and greater competition for food.
Over longer timescales, animals on predator-free islands may develop new traits and sometimes form new species. The dodo is a famous example. Silvereyes on islands off Australia’s east coast offer another example. My wife, Sonya Clegg, is the expert on this study species.
Part of this research is supported by a £2 million UKRI grant.
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