Current members
Chris Cooney
NERC Independent Research Fellow and Group Leader I did an Undergraduate degree in biology at the University of York, followed by a PhD in Zoology in the Edward Grey Institute at the University of Oxford. I then moved to Sheffield as a postdoc before starting my own research group first as Leverhulme Early Career Fellow and then as a NERC independent research fellow. I am fascinated by trying to understand the processes structuring large-scale biodiversity patterns. As a lab, we work on a range of broad-scale ecological, evolutionary and conservation-related questions, often using birds as a model system. We have a particular interest in understanding the ecology and evolution of animal sexual signalling traits, such as colouration and song, and how changes in these traits among populations is related to the origin and persistence of new species. I am an Associate Editor at the Journal of Evolutionary Biology and co-chair of the ESEB Special Topic Network for the 'Integration of Speciation Research'. |
Jasmine Hardie
PhD Student funded by UoS Broadly speaking, my research explores the causes and consequences of sexual signal evolution, with my current focus being on understanding macroevolutionary patterns of colour evolution in birds. I'm interested in how species' ecological, sexual, and social contexts have interacted to shape the immense diversity of plumage colour exhibited across the avian radiation. Animal sexual traits, such as plumage colouration, are posited to play an important role in the establishment of reproductive isolation between populations with potentially important implications for the accumulation of phenotypic and taxonomic diversity at broader scales. My work will explore these ideas using comparative approaches to investigate how interactions between species, and within avian communities more broadly, both shape and are shaped by plumage colour diversification.research seeks to understand the processes structuring large-scale patterns of biodiversity. As a lab, we work on a broad range of macro-scale ecological and evolutionary questions, often using birds as a model system. In particular, we are interested in understanding the interaction between sexual selection and ecology in driving evolutionary dynamics within birds and across the Tree of Life. |
Robert MacDonald
PhD Student funded by ACCE2 DTP While completing my undergraduate in Physics and Earth Sciences at the University of Birmingham, a palaeontology module made me realise that evolutionary biology is really where it’s at. After a few years away from academia, I completed a masters in palaeobiology at the University of Bristol focusing on characterising the evolutionary relationship between colour vision and colouration in primates. Now, my PhD project will explore how animal sexual trait diversity is impacted by anthropogenically induced extinctions, how sexual traits might fundamentally influence species’ vulnerability to extinction or extirpation, and whether and how anthropogenic environmental change is driving the contemporary evolution of these traits. Together, this research will shed light on the future of biodiversity in our changing world. |
Shriya Uday
PhD Student So much of biology fascinates me, but doing my masters at the University of Sheffield allowed me to find my niche interest, which is the overlap between colour and the wildlife trade. My research will explore a wide range of topics including the anthropogenic allee effect, the perception of rarity, the wild and captive bird trade, and the perceived attraction of birds all focused through the lens of colour. The main goal is to understand how bird colour can act as a predictor of protection and threat. Some smaller questions I'm interested in include quantifying colour metrics such as uniqueness and diversity. My hope is that this research will be a key contributer to conservation worldwide. |
Joey Baxter
PhD Student funded by UKRI/ERC (Primary Supervisor: Ben Hatchwell) My research focusses on the social behaviour of long-tailed tits, a cooperative species in which individuals often help to raise their family members’ chicks. In particular, I am investigating whether these birds use their sense of smell to identify relatives with whom they can cooperate. I will myself be cooperating with Chris and members of the Cooney lab to explore ways of analysing samples of preen oil, a smelly secretion that may broadcast information about relatedness between individuals. This work aims to build on our understanding of olfactory communication and social interaction among birds. |
Cole Reynolds
Visiting Researcher (University of St Andrews) As of 2019 I have been studying Biology at the Universtiy of St Andrews as part of an Integrated Masters programme. I approached Chris about hosting me for a year in Industry and since September, 2023, I have been a Visiting Researcher working under Chris at the University of Sheffield. My research interests include sexual selection, evolution, speciation, as well as animal behaviour and signalling. I am currently working on a project investigating the Transfer Hypothesis by uncovering whether there is a trade-off between song and plumage elaboration in birds. |