Research Interests

We use a combination of experimental, phylogenetic and molecular approaches to study the evolutionary ecology of vertebrates, particularly birds. Current areas of particular interest include,

• Large-scale patterns of biodiversity
• Ecological impacts of climate change
• Genetics of wild populations
• Speciation and diversification in birds
• Phylogeny and ecology of extinction

Recent Publications

Bennett PM & Owens IPF (2002) Evolutionary Ecology of Birds: Life Histories, Mating Systems and Extinction. Oxford University Press.

Grenyer R, Orme CDL, Jackson SF, Thomas GH, Davies RG, Davies JT, Jones KE, Olson VA, Ridgley RS, Rasmussen PC, Ding T-S, Bennett PM, Gaston KJ, Gittleman JL & Owens IPF (2006) Global distribution and conservation of rare and threatened vertebrates. Nature 444, 93-96.

Orme CDL, Davies RG, Burgess M, Eigenbrod F, Pickup N, Olson VA, Webster AJ, Ding T-S, Ridgely RS, Stattersfield AJ, Bennett PM, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ & Owens IPF (2005) Global hotspots of species richness are not congruent with endemism or threat. Nature 436, 1016-1019.

Pigot AL, Owens IPF, Orme CDL (2010) The environmental limits to geographic range expansion in birds. Ecology Letters 13, 705-715.

Olson VA, Davies RG, Orme CDL, Thomas GH, Meiri S, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ, Owens IPF, Bennett PM (2009) Global biogeography and ecology of body size in birds. Ecology Letters 12, 249-259.

Phillimore AB, Orme CDL, Thomas GH, Blackburn TM, Bennett PM, Gaston KJ (2008) Sympatric speciation in birds: insights form range data and simulations. American Naturalist171, 646-657.

Clegg SM, Frentiu FD, Kikkawa J, Tavecchia & Owens IPF (2008) 4000 years of phenotypic change in an island bird: heterogeneity of selection over three microevolutionary timescales. Evolution 62, 2393-2410.

Frentiu FD, Clegg SM, Chittock J, Burke T, Blows MW & Owens IPF (2008) Pedigree-free animal models: the relatedness matrix reloaded. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B. 275, 639-647.

Hadfield JD, Burgess MD, Lord A, Phillimore AB, Clegg SM & Owens IPF (2006) Direct versus idirect sexual selection: genetic basis of colour size and recruitment in a wild bird. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B. 273, 1347-1353.