Mark Roper
Supervisors: Dr Rob Salguero-Gómez, Prof Michael Bonsall & Dr Jonathan Green
Research Interests:
I am interested in explaining the evolution of senescence under an inclusive fitness spotlight. Current evolutionary theory for why some organisms’ show physiological decline with age, and why others don’t, does not yet consider how social interactions may be, in some part, driving this diversity of ageing patterns. My thesis hopes to examine this untapped avenue of research using a combination of theoretical, comparative and experimental methodologies. In particular, I use longitudinal data on the long-tailed tit, Aegithalos caudates, studied at Rivelin Valley, Sheffield, to explore these questions.