Jason Keagy

Advisor: Dr. Gerald Borgia

Previous Education:
B.S. Biology The College of William and Mary 2003

Research Interests:
I am broadly interested in evolution and behavioral ecology. More specifically my research on satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) at Wallaby Creek, NSW, Australia, focuses on how sexual selection and cognition are related.  Males of many animal species have highly complex multi-component displays and my dissertation research considers the possibility in bowerbirds that different behavioral display elements indicate the quality of different male cognitive abilities:  vocal ability, bower building ability, and problem solving ability.  I first consider how each of these abilities is related to male mating and courtship success to determine whether each might have a role in sexual selection.  I then consider whether or not these abilities are correlated which would suggest whether they indicate different aspects of male quality.  Finally I consider how past and current condition influences the expression of these cognitive abilities.

Location of Research:
Wallaby Creek, NSW, Australia

Publications:
Keagy, J.C., Schreiber, S.J., and Cristol, D.A. 2005. Replacing sources with sinks: When do populations begin to go down the drain? Restoration Ecology. 13: 529-553.

Borgia, G. and Keagy, J. 2006. An inverse relationship between decoration and food colour preferences in satin bowerbirds does not support the sensory drive hypothesis. Animal Behaviour. 72:1125-1133.

Desrochers, D.W., Keagy, J.C., and Cristol, D.A.  Created versus natural wetlands: avian communities in Virginia salt marshes.  In review at Ecoscience.

Awards:
1999-2003    Monroe Scholar, College of William and Mary
2003            Outstanding Biology Research Student, College of William and Mary
2003-2005    2 Year University of Maryland Graduate School Fellowship

Funding Sources:
2003-2005    2 Year University of Maryland Graduate School Fellowship