Contact:
Alexandre Varaschin Palaoro, PhD
e-mail: alexandre.palaoro@gmail.com
CV on CNPq Lattes Platform (Brazilian Research Database)
ResearchGate Profile (here)
Google Scholar Platform (here)
Github Profile (here)
Research Interests:
Horns, claws, spines, proboscises, and tusks are examples of morphological structures that range from relatively tiny to proportionally gigantic in the lineages in which they occur. Think of elephant tusks - they range from a regular canine tooth to a protruding tusk that can have more than 3 meters in length. Understanding how and why such structures grow and evolve are the types of questions I am interested in. Thus, I am frequently merging proximal to ultimate questions by using diverse techniques, such as merging biomechanics and physiology to phylogenetic comparative methods. By uniting the world of mechanisms to the world of evolution, my goal is to understand what makes morphology evolves and diversify.
Specifically, the topics I am currently interested/working on are:
- Evolution of dangerous weapons: when two males are competing for reproductive resources, they rarely bear weapons that have a chance to deal severe (or lethal) injury to the rival. Why?
- Morphology performance and evolution: how the need to perform a function influences the shape of morphologies (and vice-versa)?
- What factors constrains the evolution of structures: morphologies cannot grow and evolve indefinitely, so what makes them start growing/evolving, and what makes them stop?
- Life history and behavior of decapods.
I tend to use decapods as models. But, I am always open to (and excited about) new ideas and new models.
Alexandre Varaschin Palaoro, PhD
e-mail: alexandre.palaoro@gmail.com
CV on CNPq Lattes Platform (Brazilian Research Database)
ResearchGate Profile (here)
Google Scholar Platform (here)
Github Profile (here)
Research Interests:
Horns, claws, spines, proboscises, and tusks are examples of morphological structures that range from relatively tiny to proportionally gigantic in the lineages in which they occur. Think of elephant tusks - they range from a regular canine tooth to a protruding tusk that can have more than 3 meters in length. Understanding how and why such structures grow and evolve are the types of questions I am interested in. Thus, I am frequently merging proximal to ultimate questions by using diverse techniques, such as merging biomechanics and physiology to phylogenetic comparative methods. By uniting the world of mechanisms to the world of evolution, my goal is to understand what makes morphology evolves and diversify.
Specifically, the topics I am currently interested/working on are:
- Evolution of dangerous weapons: when two males are competing for reproductive resources, they rarely bear weapons that have a chance to deal severe (or lethal) injury to the rival. Why?
- Morphology performance and evolution: how the need to perform a function influences the shape of morphologies (and vice-versa)?
- What factors constrains the evolution of structures: morphologies cannot grow and evolve indefinitely, so what makes them start growing/evolving, and what makes them stop?
- Life history and behavior of decapods.
I tend to use decapods as models. But, I am always open to (and excited about) new ideas and new models.
Awards
2019 - Honorable mention for the presentation of the undergraduate thesis of Jônatas de Jesus Florentino, entitled "Fifty shades of red: Differences in claw color and its relation to alternative reproductive strategies", presented at the International Phase of the 27th International Symposium of Scientific and Technological Education at the Universide de São Paulo (USP) under the supervision of Dr. Alexandre V. Palaoro. Interview here (Portuguese only)
2018 - International Society for Behavioral Ecology Travel Award, awarded by the International Society for Behavioral Ecology (ISBE), of USD 500.00
2016 - Most relevant publication of the Biodiversidade Animal Graduate Programme: "Weaponry and defenses in fighting animals: How allometry can alter the predictions from contest theory" published in Behavioral Ecology
2016 - The TCS Graduate Studies Scholarship on Ecology, Behavioral Ecology and Population Genetics, awarded by The Crustacean Society, of USD 1,000.00