Carolyne Houle
Project
Spatial fluctuations of natural selection patterns in Tree swallows’ (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings under environmental variationsNatural selection can vary in strength and direction through time and space. For my Master’s project, I will assess the strength and the direction of the spatial selection that acts on Tree swallows’ (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings. To do so, I will evaluate the effects of nestlings’ morphological traits on their fitness, under various environmental conditions. Thus, I will evaluate the selection acting on nestlings’ mass, wing length and tarsus length, depending on the effects of the local climate (temperature, rainfall and winds), of the agricultural intensification level and of the bird’s density on the site. Also, I will extend my research by quantifying the effects of the nestlings’ sex and genetic origin on the level of selection acting on their traits.
