MULTIPLE SIGNALS AND MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS? ON THE FUNCTION OF SONG AND COLORATION IN THE SERIN

I have been conducting research on the evolution of two traits that are commonly sexually selected in birds: song and coloration. Throughout a series of experiments and field observations my team has been building up a picture of the role of song and coloration in the European serin (S. serinus), a common species with very conspicuous and spectacular behaviours. I will present our findings on what and why of these traits are being selected.

Paulo Mota is a researcher in CIBIO-InBIO, where he coordinates the Behavioural Ecology Group and a Professor in the University of Coimbra. He is currently the President of the Portuguese Society of Ethology. His main interests are on the evolution of sexual signals and traits dependent on sexual selection. He has concentrated his work on bird song and coloration, which are commonly considered as evolving under sexual selection, trying to understand which selective pressures modeled the evolution of those traits.

[Group Leader: Paulo Gama Mota, Behavioural Ecology]

Image credits: Paulo Gama Mota