Overview
I'm a behavioural ecologist with broad interests that have mostly involved animal signalling, predator-prey interactions, social behaviour, cognition and speciation. My study organisms are just as broad, and I have worked on lizards, sticklebacks, guppies and several bird species. My current research involves studying why guppies are capable of rapidly changing their eye colour. More details of my research can be found at my personal website: http://www.robertheathcote.co.uk
Qualifications
2010-2014 DPhil Zoology, University of Oxford
2008-2009 MSc Integrative Biosciences, University of Oxford
2004-2008 BSc Hons Zoology, University of Edinburgh
Career
Associate Research Fellow, University of Exeter. 2015-present
Teaching Fellow, University of Exeter. 2014-2015
Links
Research group links
Publications
Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year
Key publications
Heathcote R, Darden S, Troscianko J, Lawson MRM, Brown AM, Laker PR, Naisbett-Jones LC, MacGregor HEA, Ramnarine I, Croft DP, et al (In Press). Dynamic eye colour as an honest signal of aggression.
Current Biology Full text.
Heathcote RJP, While GM, Macgregor HEA, Sciberras J, Leroy C, D'Ettorre P, Uller T (2016). Male behaviour drives assortative reproduction during the initial stage of secondary contact.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology,
29(5), 1003-1015.
Abstract:
Male behaviour drives assortative reproduction during the initial stage of secondary contact
Phenotypic divergence in allopatry can facilitate speciation by reducing the likelihood that individuals of different lineages hybridize during secondary contact. However, few studies have established the causes of reproductive isolation in the crucial early stages of secondary contact. Here, we establish behavioural causes of assortative reproduction between two phenotypically divergent lineages of the European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), which have recently come into secondary contact. Parentage was highly assortative in experimental contact zones. However, despite pronounced divergence in male phenotypes, including chemical and visual sexual signals, there was no evidence that females discriminated between males of the two lineages in staged interactions or under naturalistic free-ranging conditions. Instead, assortative reproduction was driven by male mate preferences and, to a lesser extent, male-male competition. The effects were more pronounced when the habitat structure promoted high lizard densities. These results emphasize that assortative reproduction can occur in the absence of female choice and that male behaviour may play an important role in limiting hybridization during the initial stages of secondary contact.
Abstract.
While GM, Michaelides S, Heathcote RJP, Macgregor HEA, Zajac N, Beninde J, Carazo P, Pérez i de Lanuza G, Sacchi R, Zuffi MAL, et al (2015). Sexual selection drives asymmetric introgression in wall lizards.
Ecology Letters,
18(12), 1366-1375.
Abstract:
Sexual selection drives asymmetric introgression in wall lizards
Hybridisation is increasingly recognised as an important cause of diversification and adaptation. Here, we show how divergence in male secondary sexual characters between two lineages of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) gives rise to strong asymmetries in male competitive ability and mating success, resulting in asymmetric hybridisation upon secondary contact. Combined with no negative effects of hybridisation on survival or reproductive characters in F1-hybrids, these results suggest that introgression should be asymmetric, resulting in the displacement of sexual characters of the sub-dominant lineage. This prediction was confirmed in two types of secondary contact, across a natural contact zone and in two introduced populations. Our study illustrates how divergence in sexually selected traits via male competition can determine the direction and extent of introgression, contributing to geographic patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity. © 2015 John Wiley
Abstract.
von Bayern AMP, Heathcote RJP, Rutz C, Kacelnik A (2009). The Role of Experience in Problem Solving and Innovative Tool Use in Crows.
Current Biology,
19(22), 1965-1968.
Abstract:
The Role of Experience in Problem Solving and Innovative Tool Use in Crows
Creative problem solving and innovative tool use in animals are often seen as indicators of advanced intelligence because they seem to imply causal reasoning abilities [1]. However, complex behavior can also arise from relatively simple mechanisms [2, 3], and the cognitive operations underlying seemingly "insightful" behavior are rarely examined [4]. By controlling and varying prior experience, it is possible to determine the minimum information animals require to solve a given problem [5]. We investigated how pretesting experience affects the performance of New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) when facing a novel problem. The task (developed by Bird and Emery [6]) required dropping stones into a vertical tube to collapse an out-of-reach platform in a transparent box and release a food reward. After establishing that the birds had no preexisting tendency to drop stones into holes, subjects were assigned to two experimental groups that were given different kinds of experience with the affordances of the apparatus. Crows that had learned about the mechanism (collapsibility) of the platform without the use of stones passed the task, just like the subjects that had previously been trained to drop stones. This demonstrates that successful innovation was also possible after acquaintance with just the functional properties of the task. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Abstract.
Publications by category
Journal articles
Heathcote R, Darden S, Troscianko J, Lawson MRM, Brown AM, Laker PR, Naisbett-Jones LC, MacGregor HEA, Ramnarine I, Croft DP, et al (In Press). Dynamic eye colour as an honest signal of aggression.
Current Biology Full text.
Heathcote RJP, Darden SK, Franks DW, Ramnarine IW, Croft DP (In Press). Fear of predation drives stable and differentiated social relationships in guppies.
Scientific Reports Full text.
Heathcote RJP, While GM, Macgregor HEA, Sciberras J, Leroy C, D'Ettorre P, Uller T (2016). Male behaviour drives assortative reproduction during the initial stage of secondary contact.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology,
29(5), 1003-1015.
Abstract:
Male behaviour drives assortative reproduction during the initial stage of secondary contact
Phenotypic divergence in allopatry can facilitate speciation by reducing the likelihood that individuals of different lineages hybridize during secondary contact. However, few studies have established the causes of reproductive isolation in the crucial early stages of secondary contact. Here, we establish behavioural causes of assortative reproduction between two phenotypically divergent lineages of the European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), which have recently come into secondary contact. Parentage was highly assortative in experimental contact zones. However, despite pronounced divergence in male phenotypes, including chemical and visual sexual signals, there was no evidence that females discriminated between males of the two lineages in staged interactions or under naturalistic free-ranging conditions. Instead, assortative reproduction was driven by male mate preferences and, to a lesser extent, male-male competition. The effects were more pronounced when the habitat structure promoted high lizard densities. These results emphasize that assortative reproduction can occur in the absence of female choice and that male behaviour may play an important role in limiting hybridization during the initial stages of secondary contact.
Abstract.
Heathcote RJP, Dawson DA, Uller T (2015). Characterisation of nine European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) microsatellite loci of utility across sub-species.
CONSERVATION GENETICS RESOURCES,
7(1), 85-87.
Author URL.
While GM, Michaelides S, Heathcote RJP, Macgregor HEA, Zajac N, Beninde J, Carazo P, Pérez i de Lanuza G, Sacchi R, Zuffi MAL, et al (2015). Sexual selection drives asymmetric introgression in wall lizards.
Ecology Letters,
18(12), 1366-1375.
Abstract:
Sexual selection drives asymmetric introgression in wall lizards
Hybridisation is increasingly recognised as an important cause of diversification and adaptation. Here, we show how divergence in male secondary sexual characters between two lineages of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) gives rise to strong asymmetries in male competitive ability and mating success, resulting in asymmetric hybridisation upon secondary contact. Combined with no negative effects of hybridisation on survival or reproductive characters in F1-hybrids, these results suggest that introgression should be asymmetric, resulting in the displacement of sexual characters of the sub-dominant lineage. This prediction was confirmed in two types of secondary contact, across a natural contact zone and in two introduced populations. Our study illustrates how divergence in sexually selected traits via male competition can determine the direction and extent of introgression, contributing to geographic patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity. © 2015 John Wiley
Abstract.
Heathcote RJP, Bell E, d'Ettorre P, While GM, Uller T (2014). The scent of sun worship: Basking experience alters scent mark composition in male lizards.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology,
68(5), 861-870.
Abstract:
The scent of sun worship: Basking experience alters scent mark composition in male lizards
Signals used in female choice should honestly advertise the benefits that males can provide, with direct benefits often argued as being more important than indirect benefits. However, the nature of direct benefits in species without paternal care or nuptial gifts is poorly understood. Previous studies on lizards suggest that females decide where to settle and assumedly who to mate with based on information contained in scent marks from territorial males. Access to high-quality thermal resources is crucial for female reproductive success. Females may therefore be able to detect and exploit thermal-induced variation in the chemical composition of male scent marks when assessing the quality of his territory. We show that the amount of time male wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) are allowed to bask significantly alters the chemical composition of their femoral secretions used in scent marking. The direction of the change is consistent with adaptive plasticity to maintain signalling efficacy under warm conditions that increase evaporation of femoral secretions. The compounds affected by basking experience included those previously associated with male quality or shown to mediate male-male competition in lizards. However, whilst female lizards could discriminate between scent marks of males that had experienced different basking conditions, they did not preferentially associate with the scent from males from high-quality thermal conditions. These results highlight the potential importance of a previously neglected environmental effect on chemical signalling. We suggest thermal effects may have significant consequences for scent-mark composition in variable environments, with potential repercussions on olfactory communication in lizards. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Abstract.
von Bayern AMP, Heathcote RJP, Rutz C, Kacelnik A (2009). The Role of Experience in Problem Solving and Innovative Tool Use in Crows.
Current Biology,
19(22), 1965-1968.
Abstract:
The Role of Experience in Problem Solving and Innovative Tool Use in Crows
Creative problem solving and innovative tool use in animals are often seen as indicators of advanced intelligence because they seem to imply causal reasoning abilities [1]. However, complex behavior can also arise from relatively simple mechanisms [2, 3], and the cognitive operations underlying seemingly "insightful" behavior are rarely examined [4]. By controlling and varying prior experience, it is possible to determine the minimum information animals require to solve a given problem [5]. We investigated how pretesting experience affects the performance of New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) when facing a novel problem. The task (developed by Bird and Emery [6]) required dropping stones into a vertical tube to collapse an out-of-reach platform in a transparent box and release a food reward. After establishing that the birds had no preexisting tendency to drop stones into holes, subjects were assigned to two experimental groups that were given different kinds of experience with the affordances of the apparatus. Crows that had learned about the mechanism (collapsibility) of the platform without the use of stones passed the task, just like the subjects that had previously been trained to drop stones. This demonstrates that successful innovation was also possible after acquaintance with just the functional properties of the task. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Abstract.
Publications by year
In Press
Heathcote R, Darden S, Troscianko J, Lawson MRM, Brown AM, Laker PR, Naisbett-Jones LC, MacGregor HEA, Ramnarine I, Croft DP, et al (In Press). Dynamic eye colour as an honest signal of aggression.
Current Biology Full text.
Heathcote RJP, Darden SK, Franks DW, Ramnarine IW, Croft DP (In Press). Fear of predation drives stable and differentiated social relationships in guppies.
Scientific Reports Full text.
2016
Heathcote RJP, While GM, Macgregor HEA, Sciberras J, Leroy C, D'Ettorre P, Uller T (2016). Male behaviour drives assortative reproduction during the initial stage of secondary contact.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology,
29(5), 1003-1015.
Abstract:
Male behaviour drives assortative reproduction during the initial stage of secondary contact
Phenotypic divergence in allopatry can facilitate speciation by reducing the likelihood that individuals of different lineages hybridize during secondary contact. However, few studies have established the causes of reproductive isolation in the crucial early stages of secondary contact. Here, we establish behavioural causes of assortative reproduction between two phenotypically divergent lineages of the European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), which have recently come into secondary contact. Parentage was highly assortative in experimental contact zones. However, despite pronounced divergence in male phenotypes, including chemical and visual sexual signals, there was no evidence that females discriminated between males of the two lineages in staged interactions or under naturalistic free-ranging conditions. Instead, assortative reproduction was driven by male mate preferences and, to a lesser extent, male-male competition. The effects were more pronounced when the habitat structure promoted high lizard densities. These results emphasize that assortative reproduction can occur in the absence of female choice and that male behaviour may play an important role in limiting hybridization during the initial stages of secondary contact.
Abstract.
2015
Heathcote RJP, Dawson DA, Uller T (2015). Characterisation of nine European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) microsatellite loci of utility across sub-species.
CONSERVATION GENETICS RESOURCES,
7(1), 85-87.
Author URL.
While GM, Michaelides S, Heathcote RJP, Macgregor HEA, Zajac N, Beninde J, Carazo P, Pérez i de Lanuza G, Sacchi R, Zuffi MAL, et al (2015). Sexual selection drives asymmetric introgression in wall lizards.
Ecology Letters,
18(12), 1366-1375.
Abstract:
Sexual selection drives asymmetric introgression in wall lizards
Hybridisation is increasingly recognised as an important cause of diversification and adaptation. Here, we show how divergence in male secondary sexual characters between two lineages of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) gives rise to strong asymmetries in male competitive ability and mating success, resulting in asymmetric hybridisation upon secondary contact. Combined with no negative effects of hybridisation on survival or reproductive characters in F1-hybrids, these results suggest that introgression should be asymmetric, resulting in the displacement of sexual characters of the sub-dominant lineage. This prediction was confirmed in two types of secondary contact, across a natural contact zone and in two introduced populations. Our study illustrates how divergence in sexually selected traits via male competition can determine the direction and extent of introgression, contributing to geographic patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity. © 2015 John Wiley
Abstract.
2014
Heathcote RJP, Bell E, d'Ettorre P, While GM, Uller T (2014). The scent of sun worship: Basking experience alters scent mark composition in male lizards.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology,
68(5), 861-870.
Abstract:
The scent of sun worship: Basking experience alters scent mark composition in male lizards
Signals used in female choice should honestly advertise the benefits that males can provide, with direct benefits often argued as being more important than indirect benefits. However, the nature of direct benefits in species without paternal care or nuptial gifts is poorly understood. Previous studies on lizards suggest that females decide where to settle and assumedly who to mate with based on information contained in scent marks from territorial males. Access to high-quality thermal resources is crucial for female reproductive success. Females may therefore be able to detect and exploit thermal-induced variation in the chemical composition of male scent marks when assessing the quality of his territory. We show that the amount of time male wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) are allowed to bask significantly alters the chemical composition of their femoral secretions used in scent marking. The direction of the change is consistent with adaptive plasticity to maintain signalling efficacy under warm conditions that increase evaporation of femoral secretions. The compounds affected by basking experience included those previously associated with male quality or shown to mediate male-male competition in lizards. However, whilst female lizards could discriminate between scent marks of males that had experienced different basking conditions, they did not preferentially associate with the scent from males from high-quality thermal conditions. These results highlight the potential importance of a previously neglected environmental effect on chemical signalling. We suggest thermal effects may have significant consequences for scent-mark composition in variable environments, with potential repercussions on olfactory communication in lizards. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Abstract.
2009
von Bayern AMP, Heathcote RJP, Rutz C, Kacelnik A (2009). The Role of Experience in Problem Solving and Innovative Tool Use in Crows.
Current Biology,
19(22), 1965-1968.
Abstract:
The Role of Experience in Problem Solving and Innovative Tool Use in Crows
Creative problem solving and innovative tool use in animals are often seen as indicators of advanced intelligence because they seem to imply causal reasoning abilities [1]. However, complex behavior can also arise from relatively simple mechanisms [2, 3], and the cognitive operations underlying seemingly "insightful" behavior are rarely examined [4]. By controlling and varying prior experience, it is possible to determine the minimum information animals require to solve a given problem [5]. We investigated how pretesting experience affects the performance of New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) when facing a novel problem. The task (developed by Bird and Emery [6]) required dropping stones into a vertical tube to collapse an out-of-reach platform in a transparent box and release a food reward. After establishing that the birds had no preexisting tendency to drop stones into holes, subjects were assigned to two experimental groups that were given different kinds of experience with the affordances of the apparatus. Crows that had learned about the mechanism (collapsibility) of the platform without the use of stones passed the task, just like the subjects that had previously been trained to drop stones. This demonstrates that successful innovation was also possible after acquaintance with just the functional properties of the task. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Abstract.
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