Frank Sulloway - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Frank Sulloway

Oxford University Press eBooks, Apr 15, 2011

Elsevier eBooks, 2021

Abstract Galapagos giant tortoises have often been credited with catalyzing Darwin’s thinking on ... more Abstract Galapagos giant tortoises have often been credited with catalyzing Darwin’s thinking on evolution. However, while in the Galapagos, Darwin initially failed to perceive the importance of island-to-island differences among the tortoises, and he also believed that the tortoises were not endemic to these islands but rather were introduced by human agency from islands in the Indian Ocean. Without access to museum collections or expert taxonomic advice, Darwin was not in a position during the voyage to adjudicate an evolutionary explanation for his Galapagos evidence. It was only after his return to England that he was convinced by ornithologist John Gould’s astute taxonomic analyses of the Galapagos bird specimens that distinct species of mockingbirds existed on the different islands. Darwin then realized that different Galapagos Islands might contain other representative species, including the tortoises. His post-voyage conversion to evolution, as well as the two decades he subsequently spent researching and writing On the Origin of Species (1859), ultimately reflects an extensive and fruitful collaboration with his contemporaries. Although Galapagos giant tortoises eventually played an important role in his thinking, claims that tortoises initially inspired his theory of natural selection are mistaken.

Routledge eBooks, Feb 2, 2018

Analyzing political conservatism as motivated social cognition integrates theories of personality... more Analyzing political conservatism as motivated social cognition integrates theories of personality (authoritarianism, dogmatism-intolerance of ambiguity), epistemic and existential needs (for closure, regulatory focus, terror management), and ideological rationalization (social dominance, system justification). A meta-analysis (88 samples, 12 countries, 22,818 cases) confirms that several psychological variables predict political conservatism: death anxiety (weighted mean r ϭ .50); system instability (.47); dogmatism-intolerance of ambiguity (.34); openness to experience (-.32); uncertainty tolerance (-.27); needs for order, structure, and closure (.26); integrative complexity (-.20); fear of threat and loss (.18); and self-esteem (-.09). The core ideology of conservatism stresses resistance to change and justification of inequality and is motivated by needs that vary situationally and dispositionally to manage uncertainty and threat. Conservatism is a demanding mistress and is giving me a migraine.-George F. Will, Bunts

Princeton University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 1988

Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Jun 12, 2019

Introduced parasites that alter their host's mating signal can change the evolutionary trajectory... more Introduced parasites that alter their host's mating signal can change the evolutionary trajectory of a species through sexual selection. Darwin's Camarhynchus finches are threatened by the introduced fly Philornis downsi that is thought to have accidentally arrived on the Galapagos Islands during the 1960s. The P. downsi larvae feed on the blood and tissue of developing finches, causing on average approximately 55% in-nest mortality and enlarged naris size in survivors. Here we test if enlarged naris size is associated with song characteristics and vocal deviation in the small tree finch (Camarhynchus parvulus), the critically endangered medium tree finch (C. pauper) and the recently observed hybrid tree finch group (Camarhynchus hybrids). Male C. parvulus and C. pauper with enlarged naris size produced song with lower maximum frequency and greater vocal deviation, but there was no significant association in hybrids. Less vocal deviation predicted faster pairing success in both parental species. Finally, C. pauper males with normal naris size produced species-specific song, but male C. pauper with enlarged naris size had song that was indistinguishable from other tree finches. When parasites disrupt host mating signal, they may also facilitate hybridization. Here we show how parasite-induced naris enlargement affects vocal quality, resulting in blurred species mating signals.

Contemporary Sociology, 1998

Functional Ecology, May 22, 2022

The avian beak is a key morphological trait used for foraging. If parasites alter beak shape, we ... more The avian beak is a key morphological trait used for foraging. If parasites alter beak shape, we may expect changes in host foraging behaviour. Larvae of the avian vampire flyPhilornis downsicause naris enlargement in Darwin's finch nestlings when first and second instar larvae consume keratin, blood and tissue from inside the beak of the developing host. This naris malformation persists into adulthood, where nares that are >15% of total beak length are considered enlarged.We measured effects of parasite‐induced naris enlargement on foraging behaviour, foraging niche overlap and body condition in Darwin's finches on Floreana Island. Foraging behaviour was ranked by the stress per foraging technique exerted on the beak and ranged from least stress for ‘gleaning’ to most stress for ‘chip off bark’.Naris enlargement occurred in 34% of adult birds. The most common foraging technique differed among species: medium tree finches (Camarhynchus pauper) often chipped off bark to extract subsurface prey, small tree finches (C. parvulus) often gleaned surface prey from foliage, hybrids gleaned prey from bark and foliage, and small ground finches (Geospiza fuliginosa) mostly foraged on the ground. InC. pauper, birds with naris enlargement did more gleaning and less subsurface prey excavation. Foraging niche across species was most similar in birds with naris enlargement. Finally, body condition was lower in insectivorous tree finches with malformed beaks.A novel aspect of this study is the idea that parasite‐induced alterations to phenotype affect ecological processes and interspecific interactions at large temporal and spatial scales. The parasitism occurs early in life but the ecological effects of this parasitism, if causative, are happening later.Read the freePlain Language Summaryfor this article on the Journal blog.

Cambridge University Press eBooks, Mar 19, 2020

Politics and the Life Sciences, 2000

Let me begin by expressing my gratitude to the various commentators for their remarks about Born ... more Let me begin by expressing my gratitude to the various commentators for their remarks about Born to Rebel, including some of the constructive criticisms of my research findings and conclusions. No book trying to set forth more than two decades of research on why historical figures as diverse as Martin Luther and Charles Darwin behaved the way they did can expect to pass muster without exception. At best, one hopes that any problems that come to light will prove to be relatively easy to correct (as I think they have been, so far) and thus do not undermine the validity of the book's central arguments.

Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology, 2017