SEMINAR: Long term studies of mammal life history, sexual selection and conservation: insectivorous marsupials and Melanesian flying foxes.

This talk will address two current research topics: evolutionary ecology of dasyurid marsupials, and conservation ecology of tropical mammals. In some genera of small insect-eating marsupials but in no other mammals, escalating stress hormones during the breeding season cause immune system collapse, haemorrhaging, and death after mating in all males (suicidal reproduction). Male death before offspring are born has often been attributed to paternal suicide to avoid food depletion. Comparative analysis of Australian and South American taxa shows that rather than altruism, individual sexual selection leads to apparent self-sacrifice in these mammals, because males gain a competitive advantage under sperm competition. Our continental scale study reveals the ultimate role of climate predictability in shaping reproductive behaviour and sexual selection. Forests of the Solomon Islands archipelago support a high proportion of endemic mammals and a globally exceptional diversity of flying foxes. Primary forest is disappearing rapidly due to industrial logging. By analysing detailed pre-logging data (from my work with the Australian Museum in 1992) and new sampling in logged and unlogged control sites on three islands, we have a rare opportunity to assess the status of poorly known endangered species, quantify changes in community composition and vegetation, experimentally test the magnitude of impacts from logging, and to identify ecological traits of the most vulnerable tropical island-dwelling bats.