One of the key ways that biological diversity arises is through variation in success at obtaining mates. Females often control access to mating and choose only to mate with males that display elaborate traits. Sexual selection remains a controversial topic, due in part to the difficulty of understanding how mate choice varies across environments. This proposal explores ecological factors that drive adaptive mate choice in Caribbean Anolis lizards, a group noted for its great variation in body size. Laboratory and field experiments on one species will contrast the roles of natural selection and sexual selection in shaping both mate choice and male body size, a trait that has different effects on the success of males and females.
The study is designed to advance science training of middle and high school students, graduate students, and a post-doctoral researcher, in both the field and laboratory. Students from under-represented groups will be recruited. During the year, high-school students will apply what they learn in their research and coursework to teach middle-school students in the Bahamas about their local environments. Island School students will present data at a local community outreach fair and participate in a research symposium attended by government officials, scientists, conservation groups, and locals. Grant personnel will serve as mentors to six Island School students per semester and supervise studies that feed into the research goals of this proposal.
