I am an Evolutionary Biology PhD candidate at the School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. My research examines the evolution of the life history among vertebrates and invertebrates. In this context, I use phylogenetic comparative methods to generate hypotheses and draw broad conclusions that can be applied to wide ranges of taxa. I am particularly interested in studying the evolution of foraging mode and its connection to some life-history traits such as adult body size, reproductive effort, age of first reproduction, etc.

In addition, I conduct experimental evolution studies in populations maintained in the laboratory. Specifically, I examine the frequency of alleles with underlying effects on the foraging behavior of individuals evolving under different selective pressures, which enables me to make strong inference concerning phenotypic and genetic responses to selection.

• dpadil10@asu.edu
• (+1) 480-646-7769
• School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ 85287.