Publications from the Zuk lab

Peer-reviewed Articles  

2011

  • Rebar D., Zuk M., Bailey N.W. (2011). Mating experience in field crickets modifies pre- and post-copulatory female choice in parallel. Behavioral Ecology 22: 303-309.

  • Bailey N.W., Gray B., Zuk M. (2011). Exposure to sexual signals during rearing increases immune defense in adult field crickets. Biology Letters 7:217-220. 

2010 

  • Bailey N.W., Gray B., Zuk M. (2010). Acoustic experience shapes alternative mating tactics and reproductive investment in field crickets. Current Biology 20:845-849.

  • Logue D.M., Abiola I.O., Rains D., Bailey N.W., Zuk M., Cade W.H. (2010). Does signaling mitigate the costs of agonistic interactions? A test in a cricket that has lost its song.  Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B  277:2571-2572.

  • Simmons, L.W., Tinghitella R.M., Zuk M. (2010). Quantitative genetic variation in courtship song and its covariation with immune function and sperm quality in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus.  Behavioral Ecology 21: 1330-1336.

  • Zuk, M. (2010). Dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening? Science 328: 1237-1238.

  • Fullard J.H., ter Hofstede H.M., Ratcliffe J.M., Pollack G.S., Brigidi G.S., Tinghitella R.M., Zuk M. (2010). Release from bats: genetic distance and sensoribehavioural regression in the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. Naturwissenschaften 97: 53-61.

  • Zuk M., Stoehr A.M. (2010). Sex Differences in Susceptibility to Infection: An Evolutionary Perspective. Sex hormones and immunity to infection. (Book chapter). 1-17.

2009 

  • Tinghitella R.M., Zuk M .(2009). Asymmetric mating preferences accommodated the rapid evolutionary loss of a sexual signal.  Evolution 63: 2087-2098.

  • Tinghitella R.M., Wang J.M., Zuk M. (2009). Preexisting behavior renders a mutation adaptive: flexibility in male phonotaxis behavior and the loss of singing ability in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus.  Behavioral Ecology 20:722-728.

  • Rebar D, Bailey N.W., Zuk M. (2009). Courtship song's role during female mate choice in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Behavioral Ecology 20:1307-1314.

  • Zuk M. (2009).  The sicker sex. PLoS Pathogens 5: e1000267.

  • Bailey N.W., Zuk M. (2009). Same-sex sexual behavior and evolution. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 24:439-446.

  • Bailey N.W., Zuk M. (2009). Field crickets change mating preferences using remembered social information. Biology Letters 5:449-451.

  • Chappell M.A., Bailey N.W., Redak R.A., Antolin M., Zuk M. (2009). Metabolic similarity despite striking behavioral divergence: Aerobic performance in low- and high-density forms of the Mormon cricket. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 82:405-418.

2008


2007

2006

  • Zuk, M., Rotenberry, J.T., and Tinghitella, R.M. (2006). Silent night: Adaptive disappearance of a sexual signal in a parasitized population of field crickets. Biology Letters 2: 521-524.
  • Tregenza, T., Simmons, L.W., Wedell, N., and Zuk, M. (2006). Female preference for male courtship song and its role as a signal of immune function and condition.  Animal Behaviour 72: 809-818.
  • Pizzari, T., Birkhead, T.R., Blows, M.W., Brooks, R., Buchanan, K.L., Clutton-Brock, T.H., Harvey, P.H., Hosken, D.J., Jennions, M.D., Kokko, H., Kotiaho, J.S., Lessells, C.M., Macias-Garcia, C., Moore, A.J., Parker, G.A., Partridge, L., Pitnick, S., Radwan, J., Ritchie, M., Sheldon, B.C., Simmons, L.W., Snook, R.R., Stockley, P. and Zuk M. (2006). Debating sexual selection and mating strategies. Science 312: 690.
  • Lessells, C.M,. Bennett, A.T.D., Birkhead, T.R., Colegrave, N., Dall, S.R.X., Harvey, P.H., Hatchwell, B., Hosken, D.J., Hunt, J., Moore, A.J., Parker, G.A., Pitnick, S., Pizzari, T., Radwan, J., Ritchie, M., Sheldon, B.C., Shuker, D.M., Simmons, L.W., Stockley, P., Tregenza, T. and Zuk M. (2006). Debating sexual selection and mating strategies. Science 312: 689-690.
  • Zuk, M. (2006). The case of the female orgasm. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 49: 294-98.
  • Zuk, M. (2006). Family values in black and white. Nature 439: 917.

2005

  • Zuk, M. (2005). Evaluation bias hits women who aren't twice as good. (correspondence). Nature 438: 559.
  • Fedorka, K.M., Zuk, M., and Mousseau, T.A. (2005). Natural selection drives the link between male immune function and reproductive potential. Canadian Journal of Zoology 83: 1012-1014.
  • Fedorka, K.M., and Zuk, M. (2005). Sexual conflict and female immune suppression in the cricket, Allonemobius socius. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 18:1515-1522.
  • Simmons, L.W., Zuk, M., and Rotenberry, J.T. (2005). Immune function reflected in calling song characteristics in a natural population of the cricket Teleogryllus commodus. Animal Behaviour 69:1235-1241.
  • Zuk, M. (2005). Animal Models and Gender. Pp. 7-16 in Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective, 4th ed. C.B. Brettell and C.F. Sargent, eds. Prentice Hall, New York.

2004

  • Patten, M.A., Rotenberry, J.T., and Zuk, M. (2004). Habitat selection, acoustic adaptation, and the evolution of reproductive isolation.  Evolution 58: 2144-2155.
  • Kolluru, G.R., Chappell, M.A., and Zuk, M. (2004). Sex differences in insect metabolic rates: field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) and their dipteran parasitoids (Ormia ochracea). Journal of Comparative Physiology Part B 174: 641-648.
  • Fedorka, K.M, Zuk, M., and Mousseau, T.A. (2004). Immune suppression and the cost of reproduction in the ground cricket, Allonemobius socius. Evolution 58: 2478-2485.
  • Zuk, M., Simmons, L.W., Rotenberry, J.T., and Stoehr, A.M. (2004) Sex differences in immunity in two species of field crickets. Can. J. Zool. 82: 627-634.
  • Lewkiewicz, D.A. and Zuk,  M. (2004). Latency to resume calling after disturbance in the field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, corresponds to population-level differences in parasitism risk.  Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 55: 569-573.
  • Zuk, M. (2004). Make way for genes and ducklings. Chronicle of Higher Education. January 9, 2004: B13-B14.

2003

  • Zuk, M. (2003). Why not save jellyfish as well as whales?  Chronicle of Higher Education. March 21, 2003: B13-B14.

2002

  • Zuk, M. (2002) A straw man on a dead horse: Studying adaptation then and now. Commentary on Andrews et al.: Adaptationism: How To Carry Out an Exaptationist Program. (invited contribution) Behavioral and Brain Sciences 25: 533-534.
  • Zuk, M. (2002) Can nature be declawed? Natural History. October: 38-41.
  • Zuk, M. and Stoehr, A.M. (2002) Immune defense and life history.  The American Naturalist 160: s9-s22.
  • Zuk, M. (2002) Assortative Mating: pp 83-86; Mate Choice: An Overview: pp. 668-673; and Sexual Selection: An Overview, pp. 1047-1051. Three sections in Encyclopedia of Evolution, Oxford University Press.
  • Kolluru, G.R., Zuk, M., and Chappell, M.A. (2002) Reduced reproductive effort in male field crickets infested with parasitoid fly larvae. Behavioral Ecology 13:607-614.

2001

  • Zuk, M., Rotenberry, J.T., and Simmons, L.W. (2001). Geographical variation in calling song of the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus: the importance of spatial scale. J. Evol. Biol. 14: 731-741.
  • Panhuis, T.M., Butlin, R., Zuk, M. and Tregenza, T. (2001). Sexual selection and speciation. Trends Ecol. Evol. 16: 364-371.
  • Simmons, L.W., Zuk, M., and Rotenberry, J.T. (2001). Geographic variation in female preference functions and male songs of the field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. Evolution 55: 1386-1394.
  • Kolluru, G.R. and Zuk, M. (2001). Parasitism patterns and the size-fecundity relationship in the acoustically-orienting dipteran parasitoid, Ormia ochracea. Canadian Journal of Zoology 79: 973-979.
  • Johnsen, T.S., Zuk, M., and Fessler, E.A. (2001) Social dominance, male behaviour and mating in mixed-sex flocks of red jungle fowl. Behaviour 138: 1-18.

2000

  • Zuk, M. (2000). A career of many colors. Parasitology Today 16: 457-458.
  • Zuk, M. (2000). Noted biologist Bill Hamilton dies. Evolution 54: 1075-1076.
  • Zuk, M. (2000). Role models and model systems: the use of males and females in evolution. In: Haukanes, Haldis (Ed.). Feminism 2000: Biology, Technology and Politics. Conference Report. Centre for Women's and Gender Research, University of Bergen, Norway.
  • Kim, T. and M. Zuk. (2000). The effects of age and previous experience on social rank in female red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus s padiceus). Animal Behaviour 60:239-244.
  • Luong, L.T., Platzer, E.G., Zuk, M. and Giblin-Davis, R.M. (2000) Venereal worms: sexually-transmitted nematodes. J. Parasitology 86: 471-477.
  • Zuk, M. and Johnsen, T.S. (2000). Social environment and immunity in male red jungle fowl. Behavioral Ecology. 11: 146-153.
  • Sheridan, L.A.D., Poulin, R., Ward, D.F. and Zuk, M. (2000) Sex differences in parasitic infections among arthropod hosts: is there a male-bias? Oikos 88: 327-334.
  • Zuk, M. and McKean, K.A. (2000). Signals, parasites and the immune system. Pp. 407-419 in: Espmark, Y., Amundsen, T., and Rosenqvist, G. (Eds.) Animal Signals: Signalling and Signal Design in Animal Communication. Tapir Academic Press, Trondheim, Norway.

1999

  • Zuk, M. (1999). Immune function and sexual selection. Pp. 2173-2181 In: Adams, N. & Slowtow, R. (Eds), Proc. 22nd Int. Ornithol. Cong., Durban, University of Natal.
  • Chappell, M.A., Zuk, M., and Johnsen, T.S. (1999). Aerobic performance does not affect social rank in female Red Jungle Fowl. Func. Ecol. 13:163-168.
  • Johnsen, T.S. and M. Zuk. (1999). Parasites and tradeoffs in the immune response of female red jungle fowl. Oikos 86:487-492.

1998

  • Zuk, M. and Johnsen, T.S. (1998). Seasonal changes in the relationship between ornamentation and immune response in red jungle fowl. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 265:1631-1635.
  • Johnsen, T.S. and M. Zuk. (1998). Parasites, morphology and blood characters in male red jungle fowl during development. Condor 100:749-752.
  • Zuk, M. and Kolluru, G. R. (1998). Exploitation of sexual signals by predators and parasitoids. Quart. Rev. Biol. 73: 415-438.
  • Zuk, M., Kim, T., Robinson, S., and T.S. Johnsen. (1998). Parasites influence social rank and morphology, but not mate choice, in female red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus). Animal Behaviour 56:493-499.
  • Zuk, M., Rotenberry, J.T., and L.W. Simmons. (1998). Calling songs of field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) with and without phonotactic parasitoid infection. Evolution 52:166-171.

1997

  • Zuk, M., Kim, T., Kristan, D., and L.L. Luong. (1997). Sex, pain and parasites. Parasitol. Today 13:332-333.
  • Fausto-Sterling, A., Gowaty, P.A., and M. Zuk. (1997). Evolutionary psychology and Darwinian feminism. Feminist Studies 23:403-417.
  • Chappell, M.A., Zuk, M., Johnsen, T.S., and T.H. Kwan. (1997). Mate choice and aerobic capacity in red junglefowl. Behaviour 134:511-530.
  • Zuk, M. (1997). Darwinian medicine dawning in a feminist light. Pp. 417-430 in: Feminism and evolutionary biology: boundaries, intersections, and frontiers (P.A. Gowaty, ed.). Chapman and Hall, New York.
  • Zuk, M. and L.W. Simmons. (1997). Reproductive strategies of the crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). In: The Evolution of Mating Systems in Insects and Arachnids. Cambridge University Press. J.C. Choe and B.J. Crespi, eds.
  • Chappell, M.A., Zuk, M., and T.S. Johnsen. (1997). Repeatability of aerobic performance in red junglefowl: effects of ontogeny and nematode infection. Func. Ecol. 10:578-585.

1996

  • Zuk, M. (1996). Sexual selection, endocrine-immune interactions and disease. Ecology 77:1037-1042.
  • Zuk, M. Bryant, M.J., Kolluru, G.R., and V. Mirmovitch. (1996) Trade-offs in parasitology, evolution and behaviour. Parasitol. Today 12:46-47.
  • McKean, K.A., Nunney, L., and M. Zuk. (1996). Immunology taught by Darwin. Science 272:634-635.
  • Rotenberry, J.T., Zuk, M., Simmons, L.W. and C. Hayes. (1996). Phonotactic parasitoids and cricket song structure: an evaluation of alternative hypotheses. Evol. Ecol. 10: 233-243.
  • Johnsen, T.S. and M. Zuk. (1996). Repeatability of mate choice in female red jungle fowl. Behavioral Ecology 7: 243-246.

1995

  • Zuk,  M., Popma, S.L., and T.S. Johnsen. (1995). Male courtship displays, ornaments, and female mate choice in captive red jungle fowl. Behaviour 132: 821-836.
  • Johnsen, T.S. and M. Zuk. (1995). Testosterone and aggression in male red jungle fowl. Hormones and Behavior 29: 593-598.
  • Zuk, M., Simmons, L.W., and J.T. Rotenberry. (1995). Acoustically-orienting parasitoids in calling and silent males of the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Ecological Entomology 20: 380-383.
  • McKean, K. and M. Zuk. (1995). The evolution of signaling in immunology and behavior.  Naturwissenschaften 82: 509-516.
  • Zuk, M., Johnsen, T.S., and MacLarty, T. (1995). Endocrine-immune interactions, ornaments and mate choice in red jungle fowl. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 260: 205-210.
  • Chappell, M.A., Zuk, M., Kwan, T.H. and T.S. Johnsen. (1995). Energy cost of an avian vocal display: crowing in red junglefowl. Anim. Behav. 49: 255-257.

1994

  • Zuk, M. (1994). Singing under pressure: phonotactic parasitoid flies in Hawaiian cricket hosts. Research & Exploration 10: 477-484.
  • Simmons, L.W. and M. Zuk. (1994). Age structure of parasitized and unparasitized populations of the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Ethology 98: 333-340.
  • Zuk, M. and J. G. Decruyenaere. (1994). Measuring individual variation in colour: a comparison of two techniques. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 53: 165-173.
  • Zuk, M. (1994). Immunology and the evolution of behavior. Pp. 354-368 In: Behavioral Mechanisms in Ecology, L. Real (ed.). University of Chicago Press, Chicago IL.

1993

  • Zuk, M. (1993). Feminism and the study of animal behavior. BioScience 43: 774-778.
  • Zuk, M., Simmons, L.W., and Cupp, L. (1993). Calling characteristics of parasitized and unparasitized populations of the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Behav. Ecol. and Sociobiol. 33: 339-343.
  • Johnson, K., Thornhill, R., Ligon, J.D., and Zuk, M. (1993). The direction of mothers' and daughters' preferences and the heritability of male ornaments in red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus). Behavioral Ecology 4: 254-259.
  • Zuk, M., Ligon, J.D., and Thornhill, R. (1993). Effects of experimental manipulation of male secondary sex characters on female mate preference in red jungle fowl. Animal Behaviour 44: 999-1006.
  • Simmons, L.W. and M. Zuk. (1993). Variability in call structure and pairing success of male field crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus: the effects of age, size, and parasite load. Animal Behaviour 44: 1145-1152.

1992

  • Zuk, M. (1992). Sexual preference and genetic correlations: a reply. Trends Ecol. Evol. 7: 30.
  • Zuk, M. (1992). The role of parasites in sexual selection: current evidence and future directions. Advances in the Study of Behavior 21: 39-68.

1991

  • Zuk, M. (1991). Sexual ornaments as animal signals. Trends Ecol. Evol. 6: 228-231.
  • Zuk, M. (1991). Parasites and bright birds: new data and a new prediction. Pages 317-327 in (J. Loye and M. Zuk, eds.) Bird-parasite Interactions: Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour. Oxford University Press.

1990

  • Zuk, M., Johnson, K., Thornhill, R., and J.D. Ligon. (1990). Parasites and male ornaments in free-ranging and captive red jungle fowl. Behaviour 114: 232-248.
  • Zuk, M., Thornhill, R., Ligon, J.D., Johnson, K., S. Austad, S. Ligon, N. Thornhill, and C. Costin. (1990). The role of male ornaments and courtship behavior in female choice of red jungle fowl. Amer. Nat. 136: 459-473.
  • Zuk, M. (1990). Reproductive strategies and sex differences in disease susceptibility: an evolutionary viewpoint. Parasitology Today 6: 231-233.
  • Ligon, J.D., Thornhill, R., Zuk, M., and K. Johnson. (1990). Male-male competition in red jungle fowl and the multiple roles of testosterone in sexual selection. Anim. Behav. 40: 367-373.
  • Zuk, M., Thornhill, R., Johnson, K., and J.D. Ligon. (1990). Parasites and mate choice in red jungle fowl. American Zoologist 30: 235-244.
  • Zuk, M., Johnson, K., Thornhill, R. and J.D. Ligon. (1990). Mechanisms of mate choice in red jungle fowl. Evolution 44: 477-485.
  • Hamilton, W.D. and Zuk, M. (1989). Parasites and sexual selection. Nature 341: 289-290.

1980s

  • Zuk, M. (1989). Validity of sexual selection in birds. Nature 340: 104.
  • Zuk, M. (1988). Parasite load, body size, and age of wild-caught male field crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae): Effects on sexual selection. Evolution 42: 969-976.
  • Zuk, M. (1987). Age determination of adult field crickets: methodology and field applications. Can. J. Zool. 65: 1564-1566.
  • Zuk, M. (1987). Seasonal and individual variation in gregarine parasite levels in the field crickets Gryllus veletis and G. pennsylvanicus. Ecol. Entomol. 12: 341-348.
  • Zuk, M. (1987). The effects of gregarine parasites, body size, and time of day on spermatophore production and sexual selection in field crickets. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 21: 65-72.
  • Zuk, M. (1984). A charming resistance to parasites. Natural History 93: 28-34.
  • Hamilton, W.D. and M. Zuk. (1982). Heritable true fitness and bright birds: a role for parasites? Science 213: 384-387.

Popular Press Articles

2011

  • Zuk, M. The zombies with six legs. Los Angeles Times. October 31, 2011.
  • Zuk, M. Honey and the long haul. Los Angeles Review of Books. October 5, 2011.
  • Zuk, M. Overstating the wonders of ants? Myrmecos blog (myrmecos.net). August 8, 2011.
  • Zuk, M. Insect facts: what they tell us about ourselves. The Huffington Post. August 4, 2011.
  • Zuk, M. Can bugs improve your sex life? The Wall Street Journal. August 1, 2011.
  • Zuk, M. and A. Houtman. Wholphins and other wonders of bio for biz majors. The Chronicle of Higher Education. July 10, 2011.
  • Zuk, M. Animal webcams: days of their lives. Los Angeles Times. June 12, 2011.

2010

  • Zuk, M. The truth about misassigned paternity. Los Angeles Times. June 20, 2010.

2009

  • Zuk, M. What's a flu like you doing in a host like this?  The Financial Times. May 13, 2009.
  • Zuk, M. A Mother's Day for the Bugs. Forbes.com. May 7, 2009.
  • Zuk, M. The evolutionary search for our perfect past.  New York Times.  January 19, 2009.

2008

  • Zuk, M. Nice females also hunt. New York Times. December 4, 2008.
  • Zuk, M. A Great Pox's Greatest Feat: Staying Alive. New York Times. April 29, 2008.
  • Zuk, M. Why cloning will never replace sex. Mental Floss magazine. March-April edition.

2007

  • Zuk, M. So a fruit fly goes in a bar. Los Angeles Times. December 19, 2007.

  • Zuk, M. Drug resistance, explained.  Well Blog. New York Times. March 27, 2007.

  • Zuk, M. Our friend the bacterium. Los Angeles Times. February 10, 2007.

2005

  • Zuk, M. Right, wrong . . . what's the diff? Los Angeles Times. May 24, 2005.

2004

  • Zuk, M. We need professors in the labs as well as in classes. Los Angeles Times. December 13, 2004.
  • Zuk, M. Birds do it, bonobos do it.  Los Angeles Times. March 7, 2004
  • Zuk, M. Make way for genes and ducklings. The Chronicle of higher Education. January 9, 2004.

2002

  • Zuk, M. Birds do it. Los Angeles Times. June 2, 2002.

Books

  • Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life, Love, and Language from the Insect World. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2011. 
  • Riddled With Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites that Make Us Who We Are.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  2007.
  • Sexual selections: what we can and can't learn about sex from animals.  University of California Press. 2003.