Dr. George Lozano

• In-person event
• 4440Q, Carleton Technology and Training Centre, Carleton University
• 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6

• Contact
• Andrew Simons, andrew.simons@carleton.ca

Immunoecology of ruffs, Philomachus pugnax , and related issues

Dr. George Lozano
Estonian Centre for Evoluationary Ecology

Host: Forbes Lab

Abstract: Resources, time and energy can be allocated towards growth, reproduction, and self-maintenance. Investment in immune function is essentially a choice of self-maintenance over growth and reproduction, and as such, it ought to vary predictably with the organism’s ecology and life history. Most species have only 2 main life history strategies, male and female, but some species have one or more alternative morphs, usually male, that have unique morphological, ecological, developmental, behavioural, life-history, and physiological profiles that shift the balance between self-maintenance and other requirements.The ruff (Philomachus pugnax), is unique among birds, in that there are 3 types of males; independents, satelittes and female mimics (faeders). In this talk, I shall mostly describe a series of immunoecological studies using the ruff as a model system.

immunoecology – life history – alternative morphs