Academic Interests
​
I am interested in the mechanisms, function, and evolution of animal communication. I am particularly interested in understanding the use of signals in acoustic communication. I wonder how different acoustic signals can be used to convey information in different social and reproductive contexts.
My dissertation project is focused on understanding the interaction between singing behavior and sexual selection in Grass Wrens. The structure, complexity, and length of the song may be shaped by sexual selection pressures to reflect some aspects of male quality. To evaluate this hypothesis, I am looking at singing behavior in different social contexts (female-male and male-male interactions). Also, I am trying to assess the relationship between male singing behavior, song metrics, and male quality. My research involves spending several months in the field to record songs in natural and experimental conditions and to gather reliable information about the natural history of Grass Wrens. My co-workers and I carried out fieldwork during the austral breeding season (October -February) in Uspallata Valley (Mendoza, Argentina). During fieldwork, we locate and monitor and film nests, capture, band, and measure adults and nestlings, and record male songs.
​
Contact: pgarrido@mendoza-conicet.gob.ar
​