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Postdoctoral Teaching & Research Fellow
Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology
MCZ Labs
Harvard University
26 Oxford St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Adjunct Research Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
Morrill Science Center South
University of Massachusetts
611 N. Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA 01003
Office Phone
(413) 545-0035
Email
"tstankowich" at "fas" dot "harvard.edu" OR
"teds" at "bio" dot "umass.edu"
Education
B.A., Cornell University, 2000
M.S., U California, Davis 2002 Ph.D., U
California, Davis 2006
--Dissertation PDF
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Research Interests
Predation, or the
threat of predation, profoundly influences both the evolution and
ecology of behavior and morphology in animal species. Cryptic coloration, the evolution of
weapons, rapid predator recognition, and finely tuned defensive behaviors are all
evidence of strong selection imposed by predators. To better understand the evolution of
antipredator strategies, I strive to integrate ideas from behavioral ecology, evolutionary theory,
psychology, and physiology. I use a range of methods, including behavioral experiments in the
lab and field, correlative phylogenetic analyses, museum studies, and meta-analyses, and I
study taxa ranging from ungulates to carnivores to spiders. This multifaceted approach has helped me
to better understand (1) how animals perceive potential threats in their
environment, assess the level of threat that they pose, and decide when to
defend themselves or flee, and (2) how historical environments shaped the
evolution of traits we see today.
Latest News & Announcements
In August 2012, I will start as an Assistant Professor of Vertebrate Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences at California State University Long Beach!
June 2012 - Contributed seminar: Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society: "Shields, Spines, & Spears: The Evolution of Defensive Armor in Mammals."
April 18, 2012 - Invited seminar: Center for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University: "Geography of Fear: Predation Risk Analysis using GIS."
April 6, 2012 - Invited seminar: Department of Biology at Smith College: "Fearing, Fleeing, and Fighting: The Evolution of Antipredator Defense in Mammals."
New paper on the evolution of pelage coloration in Pinnipeds
published in Behavioral Ecology! Check it out here or email me for a reprint.
New paper defensive weaponry in mammals! Check it out here or email me for a reprint.
Check out my current research and teaching interests using the links above!
My Google Scholar Profile
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