Dr. Martin Whiting

Biography

Martin Whiting is a Professor of Animal Behaviour in the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University. A behavioral ecologist, he conducts research at both ultimate and proximate levels to understand how behavior affects fitness and the mechanisms underlying various behaviors. His research group predominantly uses lizards as a model system but also works with frogs and birds. His lab has made significant contributions to understanding communication, social behavior, and cognition in lizards, employing a combination of field and laboratory-based approaches. Whiting's research primarily focuses on the evolution of sociality, specifically examining the transitions from simple to complex social systems and the mechanisms that facilitate these changes. He investigates how environmental factors and sociality interact with cognitive traits to influence fitness. His work extends to understanding the impact of incubation environments on learning abilities in lizards, as well as exploring social learning and cultural transmission in animal communication. Whiting is particularly interested in the role of visual signals in animal communication, studying how the design and content of these signals influence fitness through competitive dynamics among individuals.

Research Interests