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    Christopher R Friesen, PhD

    Research

    My students (link) and I seek to uncover the links between genetics, physiology, reproductive ecology using various model systems including garter snakes, painted dragons, and cane toads.

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    Our interests include:

    • Sexual selection and sexual conflict

    • The evolution of sexually-dimorphic behavior and morphology

    • The evolution of life history traits—especially physiological underpinnings of sex-specific and alternative reproductive tactics effects on ageing

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    For example, we work to understand:

     

    How and which proximate mechanisms mediate trade-offs between pre- and postcopulatory sexually selected traits. Trade offs between traits  that evolve in response to these two episodes of selection underlie the emergence of alternative mating and life history strategies.

     

    How and why wild organisms age and fitness consequences of aging on sexual selection in wild populations. 

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    Why the interests of the sexes may be incongruent, how trait function generates sexual conflict and how sexually antagonistic coevolution has shaped the most intimate interaction between the sexes; copulation and genital coevolution. 

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    How environmental factors influence physiology and behavior in ways that may cause variation in mating system dynamics among populations.

    Students

     
    Nicky Rollings
    Nicky Rollings
    PhD Student

    Nicky's project on painted dragon telomere dynamics is co-supervised with Rick Shine, Mats Olsson, and Camilla Whittington. She has won three awards for her research at recent national conferences.
    Callum McDiarmid
    Callum McDiarmid
    Honours (University of Sydney)

    Callum's project on painted dragon sexual selection and color polymorphism was co-supervised with Mats Olsson.

    Callum won an award for his research at the 2016 Australian Society for Herpetology Conference.
    Rasmus Johansson
    Rasmus Johansson
    Masters (University of Gothenburg)

    Rasmus' project on painted dragons was co-supervised with Mats Olsson.
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    Collaborators

    Phil Byrne, University of Wollongong

    Rick Shine, University of Sydney

    Bob Mason, Oregon State University

    Mats Olsson, University of Gothenburg

    Don Powers, George Fox University

    Patty Brennan, Mount Holyoke College

    Randy Krohmer, St. Xavier University

    Heather Waye, University of Minnesota at Morris

    Mark Wilson, University of Wollongong

    Camilla Whittington, University of Sydney

    Simon de Graaf, University of Sydney

    Emily Uhrig, Linköping University, Sweden

    Suzanne Estes, Portland State University

    Steve Arnold, Oregon State University

    Deb Lutterschmidt, Portland State University

    Mathieu Giraudeau, Arizona State