A carnivorous spadefoot toad tadpole consuming a smaller, omnivore-morph member of its own species, which feeds only on algae and small invertebrates.
Cannibalistic individuals tend to avoid eating their kin.
My research is focussed on studying natural selection the agent of most evolutionary change and adaptation the process whereby natural selection causes the average state of a character to become improved with reference to a specific function. In all my research, I try to blend the development of conceptual theory with rigorous empirical testing of specific hypotheses. My research typically combines field and laboratory experimentation, morphometric analyses, and molecular genetic approaches. A common focus in my lab group is on conceptual issues rather than on any one taxon. My current research is summarized below.