Libbi Gray

Research Overview

I am a NERC E3 DTP PhD student studying at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Edinburgh. 

The overall aim of my PhD project is to investigate the consequences of climate change on the red deer of Rum, focusing specifically on the direct (weather) and indirect (vegetation) impacts on key male traits. 

Using data from the long term monitoring project of red deer on the Isle of Rum, I plan to identify the key climatic and vegetative drivers of male fitness traits (such as antler mass and phenology traits associated with the rut), and examine the extent to which changes in male traits are due to plasticity in individuals or changes between individuals.

Background

Prior to my PhD I completed my BSc in Zoology and Master’s by research at the University of Lincoln (UK). 

My master’s work was primarily focussed on identifying whether the UV ‘bullseye’ pattern found in genera such as Geranium, Ranunculus, and Brassica is the product of selection over time (via abiotic factors) or dynamic plastic responses to prevailing climatic conditions.For my undergraduate degree I was involved in three research projects that explored the thermal properties of nests, aiming to better understand the various underlying ecological and environmental factors that influence nest-building behaviour in birds.

Publications

Effect of Air Movement on the Thermal Insulation of Avian Nests
Gray LA & Deeming DC
Bird Study (2017)

Incubation Attentiveness and Nest Insulatory Values Correlate in Songbirds
Deeming DC & Gray LA
Avian Biology Research (2016), 9(1): 32–36

Comparison of Two Methods for Determination of the Insulation of Passerine Nest Walls
Deeming DC & Gray LA
Avian Biology Research (2016), 9(1): 28–31