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Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
(click individual article titles to download , * = undergrad author)

Google Scholar Profile

33. Suh YH, L RA Ligon, Rohwer VG. 2022. Revisiting the Baltimore–Bullock’s Oriole hybrid zone reveals changing plumage colour in Bullock’s Orioles. Royal Society Open Science. doi.org/10.1098/rsos.221211

Short-term pair bonds increase likelihood of hybridization.png

32. Leighton G, LJ Lu, E Holop, J Dobler*, RA Ligon. 2021. Sociality and migration predict hybridization across birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1946

31. Odom K, M Araya-Salas, J Morano, RA Ligon, G Leighton, C Taff, A Dalziell, A Billings, R Germain, M Pardo, L Guimarães, D Hedwig, S Keen, Y Shiu, R Charif, M Webster, A Rice. 2021. Comparative bioacoustics: a roadmap for quantifying and comparing animal sounds across diverse taxa. Biological Reviews. doi.org/10.1111/brv.12695

RAD-behavior

30. Ligon RA, E Scholes III, MJ Sheehan. 2019. RAD-Behavior (Recombining Atomized, Discretized, Behavior): A new framework for the quantitative analysis of behavioral execution. bioRxiv. doi.org/10.1101/739151

29. Miller ET, GM Leighton, BG Freeman, AC Lees, RA Ligon. 2019. Ecological and geographical overlap drive plumage evolution and mimicry in woodpeckers. Nature Communications. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09721-w

Media Coverage: ScienceDaily, NewsWise, LongRoom, LabEquipment, Phys.org, EurekaAlert!, Cornell Chronicle

28. Ligon RA, CD Diaz, JL Morano, J Troscianko, M Stevens, A Moskeland, Laman TG, E Scholes III. 2018. Evolution of correlated complexity in the radically different courtship signals of birds-of-paradise. PLOS Biology. doi : 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006962

Media Coverage: Science, Forbes, ScienceDaily, Macaulay Library, Phys.org, ZMEscience, EurekaAlert!, NSF, Cornell Chronicle

Kingofsaxony BoP2_edited.png

27. Hendry TA†, RA Ligon†, KR Besler, RL Fay*, MR Smee. Visual detection and avoidance of pathogenic bacteria by aphids. Current Biology. † shared first-authorship

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.07.073

Media Coverage: ScienceDaily, LaboratoryEquipment, Cornell Chronicle, TechnologyNetworks

26. Ligon RA, KJ McGraw. 2018. A chorus of color: hierarchical and graded information content of rapid color change signals in chameleons. Behavioral Ecology.

doi: 10.1093/beheco/ary076

Media Coverage: Inside Science

25. Hasegawa M, M Giraudeau, RA Ligon, N Kutsukake, M Watanabe, KJ McGraw. 2018. Repeatability of combat rate across different group compositions in male house finches. Behaviour. doi:10.1163/1568539X-00003509

24. Weaver M, RA Ligon, M Mousel*, KJ McGraw. 2018. Avian anthrophobia? Behavioral and physiological responses of house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) to human and predator threats across an urban gradient. Landscape and Urban Planning. 179: 46-54.

23. Webster MS, Ligon RA, GM Leighton. 2018. Social costs are an underappreciated force for honest signaling in animal aggregations. Animal Behaviour. 143: 167-176.

doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.12.006

22. Ligon RA, RK Simpson, NA Mason, GE Hill, KJ McGraw. 2016. Evolutionary innovation and diversification of carotenoid-based pigmentation in finches. Evolution. doi: 10.1111/evo.13093

21. Ligon RA, KJ McGraw. 2016. Social costs enforce the honesty of a dynamic color signal. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1873

20. Ligon RA, MW Butler. 2016. Body mass and immune function, but not bill coloration, predict dominance in female mallards. Behavioural Processes. 131: 59-67.

19. Ligon RA, *KL McCartney. 2016. Biochemical Regulation of Pigment Motility in Vertebrate Chromatophores: A Review of Physiological Color Change Mechanisms. Current Zoology. doi: 10.1093/cz/zow051

18. Butler MW & RA Ligon. 2015. Interactions between Biliverdin, Oxidative Damage, and Spleen Morphology after Simulated Aggressive Encounters in Veiled Chameleons. PLoS ONE. 10 (9): e0138007. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138007

17. Hutton P˚, BM Seymoure˚, KJ McGraw˚, RA Ligon˚, RK Simpson˚. 2015. Dynamic color communication. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. 6: 41-49.

˚All authors contributed equally, authorship order determined by long-distance rock-paper-scissor double-elimination tournament.

16. Ligon RA, AG Dolezal, MR Hicks, MW Butler, NI Morehouse, TG Ganesh. 2014. Using ants, animal behavior, and the learning cycle to investigate scientific processes. American Biology Teacher. 76: 525-534.

15. Ligon RA. 2014. Defeated chameleons darken dynamically during dyadic disputes to decrease danger from dominants. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 68: 1007-1017.

14. *McCartney KL, RA Ligon, MW Butler, DF DeNardo, KJ McGraw. 2014. The effect of carotenoid supplementation on immune system development in juvenile male veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus). Frontiers in Zoology. 11:26.

13. Hasegawa M, RA Ligon, M Giraudeau, M Watanabe, KJ McGraw. 2014. Urban and colorful male house finches are less aggressive. Behavioral Ecology. 25: 641-649.

12. Ligon RA & KJ McGraw. 2013. Chameleons communicate with complex colour changes during contests: different body regions convey different information. Biology Letters. 9: 2013082 .

Media Coverage:

Asia News International, Arizona Daily Independent, ASU News, Australian Broadcast Company , Billings Gazette, Bubblews.com, Business Standard, California Academy of Sciences, Canadian Broadcasting Company (radio interview for Quirks & Quarks), CBS News, Chain Reaction, Christian Science Monitor, Concord Monitor, DailyNews, DiscoveryNews, Earthtimes.org, EurekAlert!, Focus.it, Free Press Journal, French Tribune, German Public Radio, HNGN (Headlines & Global News), HooplaHa, International Business Times, Laboratory Equipment, Lainformacion.com, LiveScience, National Geographic, National Monitor, Nature, Nature Middle East, Nature Podcast , Nature World News, NBC News, NewScientist, News Tonight Africa, NewsWise, NewsX, Noticias de la sciencia, Oman Daily Observer, PetsLady, Phys.Org, Pour la Science, RedOrbit, ScienceaGogo, ScienceDaily, ScienceFlash (Dutch Public Television), ScienceNews, ScienceNow, Science Recorder, Science World Report, Scientific American, Sci-News, Sigma Xi SmartBrief (Scientific society newsletter), Slate, Smithsonian, Spanish Television (Ahora Caigo: quiz show question based on research), Swedish National Radio (Sveriges radio piece), Swiss National TV (Einstein science program), Tasmin News Agency, TechiTonics.com, Technology.org, The Scientist, The Wire, TopNews Arab Emirates, TopNews United States, Truthdive, UPI (United Press International), University Herald, WomenCitizen, Yahoo News

11. Ligon RA & GE Hill. 2013. Is the juvenal plumage of altricial songbirds an honest signal of age? Evidence from a comparative study of thrushes (Family Turdidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 51: 64-71.

10. Ligon RA, L Siefferman, GE Hill. 2012. Invasive ants alter foraging and parental behaviors of a native bird. Ethology. 118: 858-866.

9. McClure CJW, ND Burkett-Cadena, RA Ligon, GE Hill. 2011. Actual or Perceived Abundance? Interpreting Breeding Bird Survey data in the face of climate change. Condor. 113: 490-500.

8. Ligon RA, L Siefferman, GE Hill. 2011. Invasive fire ants reduce reproductive success and alter the reproductive strategies of a native vertebrate insectivore. PLoS ONE. 6(7): e22578. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022578

7. Burkett-Cadena ND, CJW McClure, RA Ligon, SP Graham, C Guyer, GE Hill, SS Ditchkoff, MD Eubanks, HK Hassan, TR Unnasch. 2011. Host reproductive phenology drives seasonal patterns of host use in mosquitoes. PLoS ONE. 6(3): e17681. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017681

6. Burkett-Cadena ND, RA Ligon, M Liu, HK Hassan, GE Hill, MD Eubanks, and TR Unnasch. 2010. Vector-host interactions in avian nests: are nestlings preferred over adults? The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 83: 395-399.

5. Ligon RA & GE Hill. 2010. Feeding decisions of eastern bluebirds are situationally influenced by fledgling plumage color. Behavioral Ecology. 21: 456-464.

4. Ligon RA & GE Hill. 2010. Sex-biased parental investment is correlated with mate ornamentation in eastern bluebirds . Animal Behaviour. 79: 727-734.

3. Ligon RA, M Liu, and GE Hill. 2009. Adoption by a territorial passerine. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 121: 830-834.

2. Ligon RA, N Burkett, M Liu, GE Hill, HK Hassan, and TR Unnasch. 2009. Assessing Mosquito Feeding Patterns on Nestling and Brooding Adult Birds Using Microsatellite Markers. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 81: 534-537.

1. Ligon RA & GE Hill. 2009. Do adult eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis, males recognize juvenile-specific traits? Animal Behaviour. 77: 1267-1272.

Book Reviews

1. Ligon, RA. 2014. The Biology of Chameleons. Edited by Krystal A. Tolley & Anthony Herrel. Sonoran Herpetologist. 27: 102-104.

Popular Articles

BOP courtship diversity

1. Ligon RA. 2019. Beautiful And Talented: Examining Mating Signal Complexity In Birds-Of-Paradise. Science Trends.

1. Ligon RA. 2013. Colourful language: chameleons talk tough by changing shade. The Conversation.

(Re-published by: Scientific American, US Science News, Epoch Times)

Commentary

1. Sheehan MW, CH Miller, CC Vogt, RA Ligon. 2018. Behavioral Evolution: Can You Dig It? Current Biology. 28: R19-R21. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.11.016

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