Kavita Isvaran

Assistant Professor

Centre for Ecological Sciences

Indian Institute of Science

Bangalore 560012

India

 

Phone: +91-80-23600985

Fax: +91-80-23601428

E-mail: kavita[at]ces.iisc.ernet.in

 

Research Interests

Behavioural and evolutionary ecology

  • Ecology and evolution of behaviour and life histories, focussing on reproductive decisions, social and mating systems, and sexual selection.
  • Consequences of adaptive individual behaviour towards the dynamics of populations.
  • Applying concepts from behavioural ecology and evolution towards the conservation of species.

Current Research Areas
  • Mating system evolution and sexual selection in mammals and birds

Mating systems, which describe the way in which individuals of both sexes obtain mates, vary widely in nature. We are interested in understanding this diversity and the dynamics of male and female mating strategies and sexual selection processes in different systems. What are the ecological conditions and evolutionary processes that lead to a particular form of mating system? Why do we see variation in mating system within a species? What information do individuals use to choose mates? What role do olfactory signals play in territory maintenance and mate choice in territorial mammals?

  • Evolutionary ecology of invasive species

 

Invasive species are a major cause of environmental change in natural habitats, but relatively little is known about their ecology and impact in India. How widespread are invasive species in different natural habitats in India? What is their impact, both positive and negative? How do the life history strategies of invasive species affect their abundance and spread? What are the mechanisms by which they affect native species and habitats? What governs the population dynamics of invasives? How are these species best controlled?
  • Female life-history strategies and population dynamics

Female reproductive decisions, such as frequency and spacing of births, manipulation of offspring sex ratios, and investment in offspring, can have long-term population consequences. How do such female life history decisions influence population responses to environmental change? Can life history strategies predict a population’s risk of extinction?

 

Publications

Isvaran K. 2007. Intraspecific variation in group size in the blackbuck antelope: the roles of habitat structure and forage at different spatial scales. Oecologia doi:10.1007/s00442-007-0840-x

Clutton-Brock T.H., and Isvaran K. 2007. Sex differences in ageing in natural populations of vertebrates. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.1138

Isvaran K., and Clutton-Brock T.H. 2007. Ecological correlates of extra-group paternity in mammals. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 274:219–224 (pdf)

Clutton-Brock T.H., and Isvaran K. 2006. Paternity loss in contrasting mammalian societies. Biology Letters 2:513–516 (pdf)

Isvaran K. 2005. Variation in male mating behaviour within ungulate populations: patterns and processes. Current Science 89:1192–1199 (pdf)

Isvaran K. 2005. Female grouping best predicts lekking in blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 57:283–294 (pdf)

Quader S., Isvaran K., Hale R., Miner B., Seavy N. 2004. Nonlinear relationships and phylogenetically independent contrasts. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 17:709–715 (pdf)

Isvaran K., and St.Mary C.M. 2003. When should males lek? Insights from a dynamic state variable model. Behavioral Ecology 14:876–886 (pdf)

Isvaran K., and Jhala Y.V. 2000. Lekking costs in blackbuck: relationship to lek-territory position and female mating patterns. Behaviour 137:547–563 (pdf)

McCauley S.J., Bouchard S.S., Farina B.J., Isvaran K., Quader S., Wood D.M., St Mary C.M. 2000. Energetic dynamics and anuran breeding phenology: insights from a dynamic game. Behavioral Ecology 11 (4):429–436

Isvaran K. The Blackbuck. In: Mammals of South Asia. (Eds. A.J.T. Johnsingh and N. Manjrekar). Book chapter (in press).