Mate Choice and Sexual Selection

From Micki Long:

Back in the spring, I stumbled upon a podcast called The Science of Birds, created and hosted by Ivan Phillipsen.  I was hooked after the first episode I listened to, which was on “Vision in Birds.”  Since then, I have listened to most of the 34 episodes, including “eBird and Citizen Science,” “New World Warblers,” and “Cats vs Birds.” As I write this, the most recent episode is on wetlands, a key habitat for many birds and other animals.

For our October presentation, Ivan will talk about a fascinating, complex aspect of the biology of birds: mate choice and sexual selection. Sexual selection is a special case of natural selection, when females and males choose their partners, not at random, but based on specific traits. Such traits include plumage color, song, and behavior. Sexual selection of mates has resulted in some spectacular features in birds. Many of the traits we love most about birds are consequences of sexual selection.

From the podcast website: 

Ivan has loved animals and nature his whole life. His first obsession was with amphibians and reptiles. This interest led him to graduate school, where he studied amphibians. After earning a Master’s degree in Biology and a PhD in Zoology, he did postdoctoral research on aquatic insects. Ivan likes creepy, crawly things. Along the way, his love of nature expanded to include plants, fungi, and all animals, including birds. Birds have become Ivan's greatest passion. He's an avid birder and co-owns a birding ecotour company called Wild Latitudes. 

If you want to check out the podcast before Ivan’s presentation, you’ll find the podcast episodes here: https://www.scienceofbirds.com/podcast-episodes

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