P. Backwell

Publications178
h-index37
Citations4,662
Highly Influential Citations167
Claim Author Page
Author pages are created from data sourced from our academic publisher partnerships and public sources.

Recommended Authors

  • M. Jennions
  • 271 Publications • 19,015 Citations
  • J. Christy
  • 99 Publications • 4,445 Citations
  • M. Murai
  • 77 Publications • 1,467 Citations
  • R. Brooks
  • 194 Publications • 12,279 Citations
  • Publications
  • Influence
Dishonest signalling in a fiddler crab
TLDR
This work presents what it believes is the first example of a dishonest signal which is used commonly by males to attract mates and fight sexual rivals, and indicates that females are deceived as to the true costs males pay to produce sexual signals.
View on Royal Society
Estimating genetic benefits of polyandry from experimental studies: a meta‐analysis
TLDR
A comprehensive meta‐analysis of 232 effect sizes from 46 experimental studies is presented to try to quantify the potential genetic benefits ofpolyandry by controlling fully for the number of matings by females assigned to monandry and polyandry treatments, and raises the intriguing possibility that cryptic, post‐copulatory female choice might be more likely to generate ‘good gene’ or ‘compatible gene” benefits than female choice of mates based on the expression of secondary sexual traits.
View on Wiley
Time constraints and multiple choice criteria in the sampling behaviour and mate choice of the fiddler crab, Uca annulipes
TLDR
It is suggested that the number of males sampled (and other indices of ‘‘sampling effort’’) may not be reliable indicators of female choosiness and may not reflect the strength of female mating preferences under certain conditions.
View on Springer
Residency and size affect fight duration and outcome in the fiddler crab Uca annulipes
TLDR
Investigation of the effect of carapace width, major cheliped length and burrow ownership on the fighting success of male fiddler crabs found that released males tended to initiate encounters with burrow owners slightly smaller than themselves.
View via Publisher
Hiding behaviour in fiddler crabs: how long should prey hide in response to a potential predator?
TLDR
It is found that males hid for significantly longer than females, and larger crabs of both sexes also hid for longer, suggesting hiding time varies depending on the potential risk of predation on re-emergence.
View on Elsevier
Visually mediated species and neighbour recognition in fiddler crabs (Uca mjoebergi and Uca capricornis)
TLDR
This work demonstrates the use of claw coloration as a species recognition signal in a fiddler crab and shows that distinct carapace colour patterns in Uca capricornis enable males to discriminate between their female neighbours and unfamiliar females.
View on Royal Society
Interspecific attractiveness of structures built by courting male fiddler crabs: experimental evidence of a sensory trap
TLDR
It is shown that the preference for structures is not species-specific and argued that it may not have evolved for mate choice, and that sexual selection may often favor male signals that attract females because they facilitate general orientation or navigation mechanisms that reduce predation risk in many contexts, including during mate search.
View on Springer
Elevated predation risk changes mating behaviour and courtship in a fiddler crab
TLDR
The fiddler crab, Uca beebei, lives in individually defended burrows, in mixed-sex colonies on intertidal mud flats, and the effect of changes in predation regime on sexual selection is discussed.
View on Royal Society
Fighting in fiddler crabs Uca mjoebergi: what determines duration?
View on Elsevier
Dishonest signalling of fighting ability and multiple performance traits in the fiddler crab Uca mjoebergi
TLDR
This study is among thefirst to show that male armaments can dishonestly signal performance traits that are likely important for winning fights, and is the first to show evidence for dishonest signalling of multiple components of fighting ability.
View via Publisher
...
...