Linking Sociality, Ecology, and Population Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles

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The long-term vision of my research program is to investigate how natural selection shapes the social behaviour of amphibians and reptiles. Over the next five years, I will elucidate variation in animal sociality, its impacts on individuals and populations, and its potential consequences for adaptation to anthropogenic change. I will use an integrative approach to accomplish the following short-term objectives: O1: Study variation in individual social behaviour across a gradient of anthropogenic change. (HQP: 1 Hons, 1MSc, 1 RA over 2 years). We will study the social behaviour of individual Eastern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) in natural and urban habitats. We will collect wild individuals and then quantify their social behaviour with a series of repeated behavioural assays in the lab. To examine potential effects of anthropogenic change, behavioural traits will be compared between natural and urban sites. Variation in and correlations between traits will also be compared among sites to test whether behavioural plasticity is a potential means of urban adaptation. O2: Test for differences in sociality and population dynamics between urban and natural sites. (HQP: 3 Hons, 2 MSc, 2 RAs over 4 years). We will conduct a 4-year mark-recapture and behavioural study of replicated natural and urban populations of P. cinereus and will use these data to: determine whether this species' sociality (i.e., the social, mating, and parental care systems) is affected by anthropogenic change, empirically test for links between sociality and population demography, and quantify impacts of urbanisation on population genetics. O3: Apply an understanding of amphibian and reptile sociality to their conservation. (HQP: 4 Hons, 1 RA over 3 years). We will test whether social factors influence the development of freshwater turtles and use our findings to inform ex situ conservation efforts in Canada. Also, in two systematic reviews, we will evaluate whether sociality predicts population trends and extinction risk of amphibians and reptiles globally. Training Impact: Fifteen HQP will gain valuable research experience that prepares and inspires them for their future careers. As their supervisor, I will motivate the development of each student's scientific individuality and independence. I also aim to create a welcoming, inclusive lab culture that supports a diverse group of HQP. I expect HQP to participate in external training, present at scientific conferences, and publish their research. Scientific Impact: Links among ecology, sociality, and demography are often discussed from a theoretical context, but empirical evidence is limited. My research program will increase knowledge of these links by integrating behavioural studies with traditional ecological and molecular methods. This work will also inform our understanding of how animals adapt to environmental change and facilitate the incorporation of behaviour into conservation actions and policies.