Evolving escape: anti-predator adaptations in threatened bird species. This project will examine how escape responses to predators evolve through natural selection, a critical question in the conserva

Description

Evolving escape: anti-predator adaptations in threatened bird species. This project will examine how escape responses to predators evolve through natural selection, a critical question in the conservation and management of threatened species. We will examine whether protection measures select for increased tolerance to threats, thereby making populations more vulnerable to predation. Using field studies of two threatened Australian birds, we will generate behavioural, genetic and demographic data to identify how management regimes influence escape responses, whether these responses are heritable, and how these responses affect survival. The project will be beneficial by enabling conservation groups to make evidence-based choices about management of protected threatened species.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3103 - Ecology. Lead: Prof Matthew Symonds