Centre for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour

Research Interests:

Focusing on wild and captive populations of passerine birds by studying behaviour directly and through molecular tools my research addresses three areas in the field of evolutionary ecology, genetic mating systems, parental allocation strategies and the evolution of ornamental traits.

 

Selected Publications:

Griffith SC (2007) The evolution of infidelity in Socially Monogamous Passerines: Neglected Components of Direct and Indirect Selection. The American Naturalist, 169, 274-281.

Griffith SC (2007) Intra and Extrapair Paternity. in Reproductive Biology and Phylogeny of Aves (Birds). Ed. Jamieson, BGM. Science Publishers, Enfield, New Hampshire, USA.

Griffith SC, Parker TH, Olson VA (2006) Melanin- versus carotenoid-based sexual signals: is the difference really so black and red? Animal Behaviour, 71, 749-763.

Griffith SC & Pryke SR (2006) Benefits to Females of Assessing Color Displays. in Bird Coloration, Volume 2: Function and Evolution. ed. Hill, GE & McGraw, KJ, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 233-279.

Pryke SR & Griffith SC (2006) Red dominates black: agonistic signalling among head morphs in the colour polymorphic Gouldian finch. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London, Series B, 273, 949-957.

Thuman KA, Griffith SC (2005) Genetic similarity and the non-random distribution of paternity in a genetically highly polyandrous shorebird. Animal Behaviour, 69, 765-770.

Griffith SC, Örnborg J, Russell AF, Andersson S, Sheldon BC (2003) Correlations between ultraviolet coloration, over-winter survival and offspring sex ratio in the blue tit. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 16,1045-1054.

Griffith SC, Owens IPF, Thuman KA (2002) Extra pair paternity in birds: a review of interspecific variation and adaptive function. Molecular Ecology, 11, 2195-2212.

Griffith SC, Sheldon BC (2001) Phenotypic plasticity in the expression of a sexually selected trait: neglected components of variation. Animal Behaviour, 61, 987-993.

Griffith SC (2000) A trade-off between reproduction and a condition-dependent sexually selected ornament in the house sparrow, Passer domesticus. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London, Series B, 267, 1115-1120.

Griffith SC, Owens IPF, Burke T (1999) Environmental determination of a sexually selected trait. Nature, 400, 358-360.

Griffith SC, Owens IPF, Burke T (1999) Female choice and annual reproductive success favour less-ornamented male house sparrows. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London, Series B, 266, 765-770.