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Research Interests The number of mating strategies used by males and females to pass on their genes is extensive. However, controversy exists over the basic mechanisms by which these strategies coevolve. Dr. Fedorka’s research focuses on 1) the different strategies employed by the sexes to maximize fitness, 2) the various physiological, morphological and behavioral consequences of these strategies and 3) if and when these strategies are expected to conflict (i.e. sexual conflict). Sexual conflict is in principle the same as the coevolution between an obligate parasite and its host, and can create a perpetual tug of war between the sexes that influences all aspects of reproduction from gametes to social behavior. Currently, his lab is focusing on three research initiatives. These include (1) Examining the coevolutionary dynamics between the male ejaculate and the female immune response to insemination in D. melanogaster, (2)Investigating the role of sexual conflict in speciation using the Allonemobius ground crickets, and (3)Modeling the potential for sexual conflict to produce multiple mating strategies within a single system. Selected Publications Fedorka, K. M., and Mousseau, T. A. Immune system activation affects the male sexual signal and reproductive potential in crickets. Behavioral Ecology in press.
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| rbasaria@mail.ucf.edu | Phone: 407-823-2141 | Fax: 407-823-5769 | University of Central Florida Homepage | College of Sciences Homepage |