Lesley T. Lancaster, Lecturer
2013 - present: Lecturer, University of Aberdeen (faculty profile)
2012 - 2013: Postdoctoral researcher, Lund University 2009 - 2012: Postdoctoral fellow, NCEAS 2008: PhD, U.C. Santa Cruz Contact: [email protected] +44 01224 274551 |
Graduate Students
Aoife Lenorard (PhD candidate)
Aoife's research focuses on how variation in the strength of trade-offs and genetic constraints can drive or limit niche evolution trajectories. Her work is relevant to multi-dimensional niche evolution during pest invasions (i.e., as pests adapt to new climates and resources) and also addresses fundamental questions about the order of trait divergence during adaptive radiations. Her research methodologies are heavily reliant on duct tape.
contact: [email protected] |
Robert Fitt (PhD candidate)
Rob's research focuses on niche evolution under climate change in damselflies, specifically looking at the roles of species interactions, thermal plasticity and habitat connectivity/dispersal rates to limit or facilitate current range expansions and habitat shifts.
Contact: [email protected] |
Former graduate students
Stuart Bence
Stuart Bence
Gavin Morrison
For his MSc, Gavin investigated current and projected trade-offs among thermal tolerance, growth rate, survival and competitive behaviors among a group of locally-interacting damselflies, employing lab-rearing techniques and behavioral trials. He identified life history trade-offs that promote and hinder coexistence under changing climates.
MSc Ecology, University of Aberdeen, 2015 |
Cameron Law
For his MSc, Cameron looked at the indirect effects of windfarms on the local behaviors and densities of reptiles in northern Scotland, predicting that the reduction of raptors and other predatory birds near windfarms may have indirect, positive effects on the local reptiles (lizards, Zootoca vivipara; and vipers, Vipera berus). This project was co-supervised by David O'Brien of Scottish Natural Heritage.
MSc Ecology, University of Aberdeen, 2015 |
Maico Weites
Maico examined density-dependent effects on damselfly thermal preferences for his MSc project, testing the hypothesis that higher site densities of damselflies may driver preferences for warmer basking conditions, independently of the effects on thermal preferences of local climatic variation.
MSc Ecology, University of Aberdeen, 2015 |
Current and former honours students