Biological Sciences Colloquium: Drew Little

Drew Little, Ph.D. Candidate at UW-Milwaukee, will present a talk entitled, “Female interactions and their roles in mate choice.”

The abstract is as follows:

“Currently, many scientific studies in courtship emphasize the behavior and traits of males in determining mate choice. While incredibly successful, this scope has led to misconceptions about the complexity of females when assessing potential mates. Using Enchenopa binotata as a model, I will be challenging the misconceptions that (1) female interactions are simple; and (2), that female mate choice is only informed by the cues of courting males. To make my case I will be presenting evidence of the complex interactions of females during courtship, that females interpret their social environment when assessing potential mates, and that this interpretation can lead to maternal effects on offspring mate choice and courtship behaviors.”

The presentation will begin at 4:00 PM in Lapham Hall N101, preceded by an informal reception from 3:45-4:00 PM.