Univesity of Maryland: Department of Biology

JEAN-FRANCOIS SAVARD 

Research:   My thesis work examines the spatial dynamics of courtship in the satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus). Bowerbirds have among the most complex displays so far studied and earlier work in this lab showed an important role for signalling between males and females during courtship. Placing video cameras directly above male bowers allowed me to precisely map courtships to explore how male and female positions change during display and how this is used in display trait modulation. I have experimentally shown (using a previously developed robotic female bowerbird) that in addition to modulating the intensity of their display, males move farther away from females in response to female behaviors of discomfort. I am also investigating the role of the bower in courtship and testing the hypothesis that males may use the bower to modulate their displays by moving behind a bower wall when females are showing signs of discomfort. As part of interpreting the general spatio-temporal patterns of courtship, I will determine how these maps of male courtship patterns may differ in relation to female age, female mate searching progression, and other relevant factors. Finally, I will consider if the degree of female entrance into the bower avenue functions as an indicator of female comfort and how this changes in relation to female crouching and propensity to startle. Models of sexual selection have assumed relatively simple mate choice processes but evidence showing very complex display is essential to understanding the operation of sexual selection and may be important in resolving which models have been important in the evolution of these displays.