Dr Michael Kasumovic
Evolutionary Biology, University of New South Wales
Michael works with the famous Australian Red Back spider to explore the evolution of mating systems and more specifically, mating strategies in response to the social environment. His work has made important contributions to areas including; the maintenance of genetic variation, how environmental conditions change mate choice behaviour and the complex links between demography, competition for mates and development. His results highlight the importance of understanding the context used when examining quality and providing not only a new way to assess it but also a change in how we view evolution.