Natural communities are well known to be maintained by many complex processes. Despite
this, the practical aspects of studying them often require some simplification, such as the …

Predator diversity alterations have been observed in most ecosystems as a result of the loss
and/or addition of species. This has implications for predator–prey dynamics as non‐trophic …

Identifying the drivers of population fluctuations in spatially distinct populations remains a
significant challenge for ecologists. Whereas regional climatic factors may generate …

Dominance hierarchies often form between species, especially at common feeding
locations. Yet, relative to work focused on the factors that maintain stable dominance …

Highlights•Downy and hairy woodpeckers share very similar plumage that is not due to
ancestry.•We assessed whether downies use shared plumage to reduce aggression from …

Maternal effects, such as per capita maternal investment, often interact with environmental
conditions to strongly affect traits expressed early in ontogeny. However, their impact on …

Predator species and body size represent critical factors that have differential effects on prey
populations, as well as overall community structure. However, investigations of how …

A fundamental goal of evolutionary ecology is to understand how asymmetric competition
influences phenotype expression, yet few studies have quantified the relative effects of intra …

Variation in the timing of breeding (ie, phenological variation) can affect species interactions
and community structure, in part by shifting body size differences between species. Body …

The rise of jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) and extinction of nearly all jawless vertebrates
(agnathans) is one of the most important transitions in vertebrate evolution, but the causes …