I develop and test theory that integrates physiology, ecology, and evolution to understand biological responses to environmental change. Below, I provide examples of specific research questions that I have worked on.
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What determines the pace of population dynamics?
Complex population dynamics such as cycles or chaos are observed in diverse taxa such as protists, insects, and mammals. The time scales of these dynamics are quite variable, ranging from days in protists to years in mammals. In Anderson & Gillooly 2017 and Anderson & Gillooly 2020 we show that these time scales are related to variation in the population’s physiological rates - larger and colder species with slower growth rates have slower dynamics. These relationships are strongest when comparisons are made across the primary/secondary consumers of communities exhibiting these dynamics.
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Why do fish from colder environments produce larger eggs?
In teleost fishes, colder mothers usually produce larger eggs. Presumably, this is because producing fewer, larger offspring in the cold increases the number of surviving offspring (i.e., fitness). Yet, the demographic processes linking egg size to fitness across temperatures remain unresolved.
In "Predicting egg size across temperatures in marine teleost fish," we show how size and temperature dependent changes in the growth and mortality of fish eggs and larvae selects for larger eggs in colder environments. The model makes quantitative predictions for egg sizes that compare favorably with empirical observations. |