J. Zheng, MSc

PhD project: Implications of  sexual conflict and sexual selection on diversification and speciation - Penduline tits as a model system of breeding system evolution

I'm studying the evolution of parental care strategy and adaptive breeding behaviour in Chinese penduline tits (Remiz consobrinus). The PhD project is aiming at revealing why divergent parental care patterns exist in two populations with heterogeneous habitats. I’ll also focus on investigating the evolutionary implications of unique breeding behaviours in Chinese penduline tits. I will conduct field studies in Northeast China from May to August each year, in addition to theoretical simulations to study the evolutionary process of parental care.