Associate Professor of Biology Oberlin College Science Center A130 (Lab A129) Telephone 440/775-8306 (Lab 440/775-6269) Email: keith.tarvin@oberlin.edu { Email Professor Tarvin } Specialties: Ecological and genetic influences of behavior and life history evolution; sexual selection and mate choice; social organization; avian natural history. I am interested in the way the ecology of individuals influences evolution within populations. Within a population, do some individuals enjoy greater fitness than others? If so, why? Do such fitness descrepancies reflect differences in genetic quality of the individuals, differences in territory quality, differences in competitiveness as a function of age or health, or just the luck of the draw? These interests have led me to study a variety of topics, including sexual selection, social organization, and habitat use. My current research projects center on sexual selection and mate choice, and how these processes may be influenced by genetics and disease. My primary project is a study of mating strategies in American Goldfinches. The field work for this project takes place near Oberlin in the summer, and lab work continues throughout the year. Several research students have participated in this work. For more information about the goldfinch project, go here. For the past few years, I have been involved in a study of sexual selection, mating strategies, and social organization in Australian fairy-wrens with colleagues from the University of Chicago, Washington State University, and Indiana State University (for more, go here). I also occasionally collaborate with Mary Garvin, also in the Oberlin Biology Department, on studies of viral infections and habitat use in Blue Jays (go here). I teach upper-level courses in Evolution (Biol 218), Behavioral Ecology (Biol 212), and Ornithology (Biol 215/216), and an advanced Seminar in Sexual Selection (Biol 415). I also teach a First-Year Seminar called Science from a bird's eye view: Ecology, Evolution, and the Study of Birds (FYSP 181). B.A., Hendrix College (1986) M.S., University of Arkansas (1991) Ph.D., University of South Florida (1998) Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Chicago (1998-2000) Publications Looking for a position in evolution or ecology? Go here! This site updated August 2005.