Jennions Group - Behavioural and reproductive ecology
We are a happy and extremely productive research group. We place a strong emphasis on creating a friendly working environment. If you thrive best in a winner takes all setting then we are not for you. If, however, you enjoy biology, like working with animals and find evolution fascinating then read on. We value and strive for research excellence. Ultimately scientists are evaluated on what they publish - avoid the hype and just check out our publications. If you are considering Honours, a PhD or Post-doc and want to produce high quality work with a view to pursuing a career in biology then please get in touch.
What do we do? We are interested in whole organism evolutionary biology, especially the evolution of behavioural and morphological reproductive traits. Our main focus is testing sexual selection theory. The kinds of questions we ask are:
- Is there a trade-off between diets that maximize mating as opposed to fertilization success?
- How does inbreeding affect sexually selected traits versus other traits?
- Why do females mate multiply?
- What affects the offspring sex ratio?
- Are males more variable than females in their behaviour?
- Does winning a fight increase your future likelihood of winning another fight?
- Are older more succesful because they are more sexually experienced?
- What determines the rate of sperm production?
We conduct: behavioural ecology experiments, artificial selection studies, and meta-analysis of literature.
We use: immunological assays, diet manipulations, paternity analysis, and sperm assays.
We have conducted research on: fish, crickets, beetles, fiddler crabs, and humans.
- For more about the Jennions Group check out the 'J lab' website
Group Leader
Honorary Professors
Honorary Senior Lecturer
Honorary Associate Professor
Divisional Visitors
PhD Students
Technical Assistant
Visiting Fellow
Project | Status |
---|---|
Sexual selection and the evolution of sex roles | Current |
Publications
- Go Michael's Google Scholar Page or - better still - the J Lab Publications page.
![](https://biology.anu.edu.au/files/styles/anu_narrow_200_100/public/coarctata_2000.jpg?itok=u_EC4Qc1)
Fiddler crabs offer safe sex for favours
![](https://biology.anu.edu.au/files/styles/anu_narrow_200_100/public/VinogradovImage.jpg?itok=8Th22XKN)
E&E PhD Exit Seminar: Aquatic IQs: Fish cognition, its predictors, and adaptive value
![Recorded EE Seminar - Joe Chung](https://biology.anu.edu.au/files/styles/anu_narrow_200_100/public/media-youtube/siqvgU2rrW8.jpg?itok=TvWNeOLa)
E&E PhD Exit Seminar: The price of pleasure: How sex affects your body and your future
![Recorded EE Seminar - Lauren Harrison](https://biology.anu.edu.au/files/styles/anu_narrow_200_100/public/media-youtube/IKwbZVwwqxU.jpg?itok=b5bz1w1f)
E&E PhD Exit Seminar: Sex and conflict: How competition shapes reproduction, behaviour and life-histories in various animals
![Recorded EE Webinar - Upama Aich](https://biology.anu.edu.au/files/styles/anu_narrow_200_100/public/media-youtube/OWlQ-0WrL3A.jpg?itok=XgtJQYBs)
PhD Exit Webinar: Does age matter? Effects of age and mating history on male reproductive success
![Recorded EE Webinar - Alex Chen](https://biology.anu.edu.au/files/styles/anu_narrow_200_100/public/media-youtube/ua6Y77KXYWI.jpg?itok=I0P-TzXA)
E&E PhD Exit Webinar: Get high with your weed: lessons from a tropical ‘seaweed-invertebrate-fish’ food chain
![Recorded EE Webinar - Edwards](https://biology.anu.edu.au/files/styles/anu_narrow_200_100/public/media-youtube/Sx4QubFZFUo.jpg?itok=k8-JAZLV)
E&E Webinar: Wings, feathers, flight: the PhyloG2P approach to understanding bird biology
![Recorded EE Webinar - Ritchie](https://biology.anu.edu.au/files/styles/anu_narrow_200_100/public/media-youtube/cettEeENgM0.jpg?itok=xM8Bygq5)