Dr. Luis Fernando De León
Postdoctoral Researcher

Research Interests (continued)

I developed these research interests during my Ph.D. work, which focused on the ecology of the adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches, one of the classic examples of adaptive diversification. Some of the most important contributions of my research are the following: First, I found that ecological differences can effectively promote incipient speciation on a single island in a morphologically variable ground finch species (Geospiza fortis). Second, I showed that human disturbances can hamper this process of incipient divergence by altering the distribution of feeding resources for finches. Building on these results, and on the large amount of knowledge about the ecology and evolution of Darwin's finches, I hope to elucidate these issues further.

The adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches has originated 13 species on Galápagos Islands. This process started approximately 2.3 million years ago when a single finch-like bird species managed to colonize the Archipelago. This figure shows some of the members of this adaptive radiation. Specifically, adult males of the species of Ground finches found on Santa Cruz Island. One of the most interesting features of these species is represented by their beak morphology which are shaped to exploit different food items. (Photo credit: L. F. De León)

Summary of previous research | Research in progress | Future research