K.L. (Kat) Bebbington, PhD

As an evolutionary biologist, my main research goal is to understand what strategies family members use to maximise their fitness in the context of the social environment. In my research, I test hypotheses relating to the evolution of family life using multiple approaches: from behavioural observations, telomeres and other molecular markers, to long-term life history data and species-level comparative analyses. My primary research interest lies in investigating social interactions within families (sexual conflict, parent-offspring conflict and offspring competition).

My current project is funded by a NWO Veni fellowship. In this project, I aim to test whether the extent to which reproductive conflicts over caring for offspring varies according to whether or not carers rely on each other for future fitness benefits. I will be addressing this question by measuring and manipulating hormones levels in caring parents.