Dr Christopher Friesen

Dr Friesen studies the ecophysiology of sexual selection and ageing in Australian lizards. Currently, he is working to understand the eco-evolutionary processes responsible for the geographic variation in sexually selected colouration, body size, and sexual size dimorphism (and possible differences in lifespan and ageing rates) of the wide-ranging Australian painted dragon lizards (Ctenophorus pictus). He is working to leverage this geographic variation in life history and sexually selected traits along substantial temperature/aridity clines to determine how thermal adaptation might influence selection and mediate physiological tradeoffs between characters and between character states. He has also maintained collaborations for his ongoing work on red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), which has also bridges between environmental effects and sexual selection and the costs of reproduction.

Read more on Dr Friesen’s website

• UOW Scholars page
• Google Scholar page