DPhil. Student

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Gillingham

Mark Gillingham

Details

Name: Mark Gillingham
Position: DPhil. Student
Email: mark.gillingham@zoo.ox.ac.uk

Autobiography

I was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. I am half French and half English. I lived 7 years in Canada, 6 years in France, 3 and half years in Ireland and have been living in England since January 2000. I did a BSc degree in Zoology at the University of Reading and I am currently undertaking a DPhil with Dr Tommaso Pizzari on "Mhc genes and sexual selection in the fowl".

Research Activities

I am particularly interested in sexual selection in birds. Despite the fact that sexual selection is one of the most studied topics in evolutionary biology, two main questions remain unsolved. Is there sexual selection for genetic benefits and, if so, how is variability maintained in the population? My DPhil research investigates the relationship between Mhc genes (genes coding for antigen presenting molecules crucial to the resistance of pathogens) and sexual selection, with particular emphasis on post-copulatory sexual selection, in the fowl, Gallus gallus. Promiscuity prolongs sexual selection beyond copulation. Post-copulatory sexual selection is mediated by two mechanisms, sperm competition, the competition between the ejaculates of different males over fertilization, and female cryptic choice, female influence of male fertilisation success through biased sperm utilisation. My DPhil explores how the fitness advantages derived by specific Mhc alleles or specific combinations of Mhc alleles drive mechanisms of sperm competition and cryptic female choice in the fowl and simultaneously contribute to maintain Mhc genes variable.

Selected Recent Papers

Mark currently has no recent papers.