Beth Pettitt

• Ph.D. Student, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Graduate Program
• M.S., University of Central Florida, 2006
• B.S., College of Saint Benedict, 1995

Curriculum vitae (PDF)

Synopsis of Research Interests

My dissertation research investigates the relationship between paternal care and male secondary sex traits used by females in mate choice.  I am examining the extent to which variation in the acoustic traits of male vocalizations is related to the expression of male paternal efforts and can be exploited by females to predict the quality of paternal care a male will provide.   I am investigating this relationship in a wild population of Anomaloglossus beebei, a neotropical frog found only in Kaieteur National Park, Guyana, South America

Extended Project Summary

The broad aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between male parental care and the secondary sex traits used by females in mate choice.  While many studies have examined this relationship, most empirical tests do not adequately distinguish among current theoretical models because their findings are confounded with paternity.  Previous research has focused primarily on species with internal fertilization (e.g. avian models) in which the certainty of a male’s paternity is highly variable.  Because males are theorized to adjust the quality of their care in relation to their degree of paternity certainty, it is likely that this highly variable factor may confound the relationship between quality of care and mate signaling.  One way to eliminate this confounding effect is to examine this relationship in species exhibiting external fertilization in which egg-laying and mating occur together and paternity certainty is less variable.

The objective of this project is to provide the first comprehensive examination of the relationship between quality of paternal care and secondary sex traits used in mate choice without the confounding effects of paternity.  This project investigates this relationship in a neotropical frog (Anomaloglossus beebei) that is endemic to Guyana, South America and exhibits external fertilization as well as biparental care and acoustically mediated courtship behavior.  In so doing, the proposed research will have a greater capacity to differentiate among current theoretical models and will provide unbiased analyses leading towards a better understanding of the functional relationship between mate signaling and parental care.  The central hypothesis of this research is that variation in the acoustic properties of male vocalizations is related to the expression of male paternal behaviors and can be exploited by females to predict the quality of paternal care a male will provide.  The project will achieve the following specific aims: 1) to assess patterns of individual variation in male vocal behavior and characterize acoustically mediated female mate choice, 2) to evaluate relationships between male parental quality, male vocal behavior and fitness benefits to females, and 3) to experimentally assess fitness benefits to females mated to males with specific call traits.  Behavioral and acoustic analyses as well as playback and cross fostering experiments will be used to achieve the project’s specific aims.  The approach is innovative because it utilizes a unique combination of well-established techniques and choice of study species that allows for the elimination of the confounding effects of paternity, female parental care and offspring genetic quality.

This project will involve five main broader impacts: 1) training of University of Guyana undergraduates as well as local community members in behavioral and bioacoustic field techniques, 2) training of University of Minnesota undergraduates in behavioral and acoustic analyses, 3) collaboration with the director of Guyana’s National Parks Commission in the development of a potentially new bioacoustic conservation tool, 4) presentation of findings in diverse public forums including the Bell Museum of Natural History and elementary school science fairs and 5) collaborations with NSF GK-12 teachers in the development of a week-long lesson plan focusing on neotropical species.

Publications

Pettitt, B.A., Wheaton, C.J. & Waterman, J.M.  2007.  Effects of storage treatment on fecal steroid hormone concentrations of a rodent, the Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris).  General and Comparative Endocrinology, 150:1-11. PDF

Pettitt, B.A., Waterman, J.M. & Wheaton, C.J.  2008.  Assessing the effects of resource availability and parity on reproduction in female Cape ground squirrels: resources do not matter.  Journal of Zoology, 276(3): 291-298. PDF

Presentations / Posters

“Individual variation in advertisement calls of male golden rocket frogs, Anomaloglossus beebei.”  B.A. Pettitt, M.A. Bee, G.R. Bourne.  Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference in Lincoln, NE.  March 27-29, 2009.

“Enriching K-6 Curriculum with ‘Real’ Science.”  B.A. Pettitt, Susan Weller and Karen Oberhauser,National Science Foundation GK-12 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.  February 29 – March 2, 2008.

“Fecal progestogen profiles of pregnant and lactating free-living Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris)."  B.A. Pettitt and J.M. Waterman, Society for Integrative and Comparative biology 2007 Annual Conference in Phoenix, AZ.  January 3-7, 2007. 

“Reproductive delay in female Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris).”  B.A. Pettitt and J.M. Waterman.  Animal Behavior Society 2006 Annual Meeting in Snowbird, UT.  August 12-16, 2006.

“Reproductive delay in female Cape ground squirrels: suppression, inbreeding avoidance and skew.”  B. A. Pettitt and J. M. Waterman.  Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference in Tuscaloosa, AL.  March 3-5, 2006

“Reproductive suppression in female Cape ground squirrels, Xerus inauris.”  B. A. Pettitt and J. M. Waterman.  Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2006 Annual Conference in Orlando, FL. January 4-8, 2006.

“Influence of predation and habitat structure on social evolution in ground-dwelling sciurids: a comparative analysis.”  B. A. Pettitt and J. Waterman.  Animal Behavior Society 2005 Annual Meeting in Snowbird, UT.  August 6-10, 2005.

“Comparison of effects of different storage methods on fecal progestagen concentrations: implications for fecal transport.”   B. A. Pettitt and J. Waterman.  Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference in Athens, GA.  March 11-13, 2005.

“Predation, Habitat Structure and Evolution of Sociality in Ground-dwelling Sciurids (Tribe Marmotini): A Comparative Analysis.”  B. A. Pettitt and J. Waterman.  Florida Academy of Sciences in Orlando, FL. March 19-20, 2004.

“Social Evolution, Predation Pressure and Habitat Structure: A Comparative Analysis Within Tribe Marmotini.”  B. A. Pettitt and J. Waterman.  Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference in Atlanta, GA.  March 5-7, 2004.