Terry E. Christenson, Ph.D., Associate ProfessorChair of Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Ph.D., 1974, University of California, Berkeley
Office: 3056 Percival Stern Hall
Telephone: (504) 862-3313
Email: tchris@tulane.edu
The evolution of behavior, in particular sexual selection, that is, competition and mate choice at both the organism and gamete levels. Spiders are studied under lab and field conditions.
Ramos, M., Coddington, J., Christenson, T. E., & Irschick, D. J. (2005). Have male and femal genitalia co-evolved? A phylogenetic analysis of genitalic morphology and sexual size dimorphism in web-weaving spiders (Araneae: Orbiculariae). Evolution, 59, 1989-1999.
Ramos, M., Irschick, D., & Christenson, T. (2004). Overcoming an evolutionary conflict: Removal of a reproduction organ greatly increases locomotor performance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 101, 4883-4887.
Bukowski, T., Linn, C., & Christenson, T. (2001). Copulation and sperm release in Gasteracantha cancriformis. Animal Behaviour, 62, 887-895.
Bukowski, T., & Christenson, T. (2000). Determinants of mating frequency in the spiny orb-weaving spider, Micrathena gracilis. Journal of Insect Behavior,13, 331-352.
Bukowski, T., & Christenson, T. (1998). Natural history and copulatory behavior of the spiny orb-weaving spider, Micrathena gracilis. Journal of Arachnology, 25, 307-320.