Martin Wikelski | Why is the pace of life slower in the tropics? Why do tropical birds only lay 2 eggs per clutch, compared to temperate zone birds that lay 5-12? How do tropical birds know when to breed? Why are some animals bigger than others? To answer each of these questions, we need to know the physiological mechanisms that underlie these ecological phenomena. In particular, we need to understand how physiological and life history traits of organisms are connected. We approach these questions in different animal system. Our overall goal is to discern the mechanisms that underlie species diversity. For this we make use of physiological differences in birds along a latitudinal gradient and of the regular distributions of body sizes of animals in different habitats.

Of special interest: NSF Special Report "The Secret Lives of Wild Animals" features EEB research by me and my collaborators on agoutis, ocelots, and dragonflies.
Tel 609.258.6133
Fax 609.258.7892
Email: wikelski@princeton.edu		 Curriculum Vitae (pdf) |  Recent publication abstracts (pdf) |
 Research |  Wikelski Lab  |
 Other activities:   ICARUS initiative  |  Automated Radio Telemetry System Initiative (ARTS)
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Mailing Address: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
                                Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544-1003

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