Crossbills and Conifers

Craig Benkman is an evolutionary ecologist and ornithologist, and an Emeritus Professor and Robert B. Berry Distinguished Chair in Ecology at the University of Wyoming. Before moving to Wyoming in 2004, Craig was on the faculty in the Department of Biology at New Mexico State University. He received a B.A. from UC Berkeley, a M.S. from Northern Arizona University, a Ph.D. from State University of New York at Albany, and conducted postdoctoral research at Princeton University and the University of British Columbia. He is a Fellow of the American Association of the Advancement of Science and received the E. O. Wilson Naturalist Award from the American Society of Naturalists and the William Brewster Memorial Award from the American Ornithological Society.

Preface Acknowledgments 1. Why Crossbills? Crossbills, Conifers and the Origins of an Interaction 2. Challenges and Opportunities of Relying on Cone-seed 3. How Cone and Bill Structure Shape Conifer and Habitat Use 4. How and When Key Resources Favor Specialization 5. Coevolution: Crossbills Are More than Just Ornaments 6. Flocking, Patch Assessment and the Evolution of Contact Calls 7. Speciation in the Cassia Crossbill 8. Causes and Consequences of Variation in Reproductive Isolation 9. The Future of Crossbills: Climate Change and Other Threats 10. Epilogue Glossary References Index