Sullivan-Beckers Lab

In this lab, we are interested in understanding how behavioral phenotypes are shaped by evolutionary forces including natural and sexual selection. Behaviors associated with reproduction are very well-suited for the study of selective forces as they are intimately tied to evolutionary fitness. Mating behaviors become even more important in species in which sexual cannibalism is common. The behavioral phenotypes that we investigate include courtship signals and displays, as well as cognitive traits used in reproduction such as mating decisions and the effects of social experience on reproductive behaviors.