Ned Dochtermann
As a doctoral student in the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Group (link) at the University of Nevada, Reno; my research interests focus on the evolutionary and ecological significance of intra-specific and intra-population variation. Within this area, my dissertation research has focused on patterns of behavioral variation in natural populations.
One component of this research has involved determining behavioral syndrome structure within Dipodomys merriami (Dochtermann and Jenkins, 2007). Behavioral syndromes, the consistent correlation of behaviors, are conceptually analogous to personalities. Personality differences between individuals are well recognized in humans and may represent the norm for other organisms rather than the exception.
My research is also investigating the mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of phenotypic variation within populations of Dipodomys merriami. Mechanisms working to maintain variation include intra-specific competition, heterosis, negative frequency dependent selection and spatial or temporal variation. Of these mechanisms, competition and spatial and temporal variation appear to be key factors in the maintenance of variation of behaviors and other phenotypic traits.
To evaluate existing theory regarding the maintenance of variation, I am quantifying patterns of phenotypic (specifically, behavioral) variation within populations of D. merriami. These patterns will be compared to the degree of inter- and intra- specific competition experienced by a population as well degree of spatial heterogeneity to evaluate the mechanisms maintaining variation in D. merriami. This will allow me to compare currently proposed mechanisms.(preliminary results [~5mb])
I am also exploring possible causal factors in the evolution and maintenance of correlated trait syndromes (like personalities) using individually based models. Several causal factors have been proposed to explain the evolution and maintenance of syndromes, including underlying constraints with pleiotropic-like effects as well as temporal heterogeneity resulting in multiple fitness peaks in a multivariate landscape. I am focusing on the role temporal heterogeneity as a possible mechanism for the evolution of behavioral syndromes.
