Jason Keagy

Visit Jason's personal page.

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. 2008. Created versus natural wetlands: Avian communities in Virginia salt marshes. Ecoscience. 15: 36-43.

Keagy, J., Savard, J-F, and Borgia, G. 2009. Male satin bowerbird problem-solving ability predicts mating success. Animal Behaviour. 78: 809-817.

Awards:
1999-2003 Monroe Scholar, College of William and Mary

2003 Outstanding Biology Research Student, College of William and Mary

2003-2005 University of Maryland Graduate School Fellowship

2008 Jane Prichard Award for Excellence in Teaching
-Best Poster (Neuroscience and Cognitive Science) Bioscience Day UMD
-College of Chemical and Life Sciences Travel Award

2009 Jakob K. Goldhaber Graduate Student Travel Award
-American Ornithological Union (AOU) Best Student Talk
-American Ornithological Union (AOU) Travel Award
-College of Chemical and Life Sciences Travel Award

2010 Hockmeyer Fellowship

Funding Sources:
2003-2005 University of Maryland Graduate School Fellowship
2010 Hockmeyer Fellowship