Female Songbirds Aren't So Dull Afterall – 2017 Summer Lecture Series Hann Research Seminar

Researchers have long focused on why male songbirds have such colorful plumage and sing such elaborate songs, while females are relatively dull and quiet. Indeed, this sexual difference was fundamental to the formulation of Darwin’s theory of sexual selection. However, recent studies show that sexual differences in songbirds are often due to females losing these conspicuous traits rather than males gaining them. Furthermore, although male traits appear more divergent across species today, females have undergone more frequent and rapid changes in the evolutionary past. How are these new findings causing us to rethink some of Darwin's theories regarding differences between the sexes? Have we been asking the right questions?

Dr. Jordan Price is the University of Michigan Biological Station’s Hann Endowed lecturer for 2017.