Today’s episode features University of Florida Entomology and Nematology Department Behavioral Ecology and Evolution assistant research scientist Lisa Taylor. Dr. Taylor’s research is driven by a fascination with biodiversity, and in particular, with the extravagant and brilliantly colored displays that spiders use to communicate. The goal of her work is to understand the selection pressures that drive the evolution and maintenance of these colors. She uses a combination of observational field studies and controlled laboratory experiments that often employ direct manipulation of color patterns to test hypotheses.
She has developed a new process of painting makeup on the faces of jumping spiders to mask colors and evaluate interactions between males and females. Her fascinating research will be featured in the upcoming edition of UF Research’s EXPLORE Magazine.
Dr. Lisa Taylor: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/people-directory/lisa-taylor/
The Taylor Lab: https://spiderpalooza.wordpress.com/
Spiderpalooza: https://spiderpalooza.wordpress.com/spiderpalooza/
