William E. Wagner Jr.

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		William E. Wagner Jr. Associate Professor School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-0118 phone: (402) 472-0742 email:
Research Interests My research focuses on the evolution of animal communication systems, particular the evolution of sexual communication. This includes natural and sexual selection on male traits used to attract females, the costs and benefits of female mating preferences, and the coevolution of male-female interactions. My current research is primarily with field crickets, but I have also worked with fishes and frogs. Education University of California, Santa Barbara, Postoctoral Fellow: 1993-1994 Brock University, Postoctoral Fellow: 1991-1993 University of Texas at Austin, Department of Zoology, Ph.D.: 1991 University of California, Berkeley, Department of Zoology, A.B.: 1984 External Grants, Fellowships and Awards National Science Foundation: 2005 National Science Foundation, REU Supplement: 2006 National Science Foundation, REU Supplement: 2007 Department of Education, GAANN Training Grant (Co-PI: Alexandra L. Basolo): 2004 National Science Foundation: 1997 National Science Foundation, REU Supplement: 1998 National Science Foundation, REU Supplement: 1999 National Science Foundation, REU Supplement: 2000 National Science Foundation, Postdoctoral Fellowship in Environmental Biology: 1992 NSF/NATO, Postdoctoral Fellowship in Science and Engineering: 1991 Animal Behavior Society, Research Grant: 1990 Sigma Xi Scientific Society, Grant-in-Aid of Research: 1989 American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Gaige Award: 1989 American Museum of Natural History, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund: 1989 National Science Foundation, DDIG (Co-PI: Michael J. Ryan): 1987 American Museum of Natural History, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund: 1987 Sigma Xi Scientific Society, Grant-In-Aid of Research: 1987 Internal Grants, Fellowships and Awards Research Grant-In-Aid, Research Council, University of Nebraska: 2005 Faculty Development Fellowship, University of Nebraska: 2004 Research Grant-In-Aid, Research Council, University of Nebraska: 2004 Visiting Scholar Grant, Research Council, University of Nebraska: 2004 Layman Award, University of Nebraska: 2000 Research Grant-In-Aid, Research Council, University of Nebraska: 2000 Layman Award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln: 1999 Research Grant-In-Aid, Research Council, University of Nebraska: 1998 Research Grant-In-Aid, Research Council, University of Nebraska: 1997 Nebraska Behavioral Biology Group, Block Grant: 1994 NIMH Traineeship in Neurobiology and Behavior, University of Texas at Austin: 1991 Professional Development Award, University of Texas at Austin: 1990 Hartman Fellowship, Department of Zoology, University of Texas at Austin: 1990 Blair Scholarship, Department of Zoology, University of Texas at Austin: 1990 Professional Development Award, University of Texas at Austin: 1989 University Fellowship, University of Texas at Austin: 1988 Graduate Research Grant, University of Texas at Austin: 1987 University Fellowship, University of Texas at Austin: 1986 Refereed Publications Tolle, A. E. and W. E. Wagner Jr. In preparation. Male signaling of direct benefits in a field cricket: the attractiveness of a genotype varies among nutritional evnrionments, but the benefit provided by a genotype does not. Martin, C. M. and W. E. Wagner Jr. In preparation. Females risk death when near preferred males. Wagner, W. E. Jr and A. L. Basolo. 2008. Incidental sanctions and the evolution of direct benefits. Ethology in press. Wagner, W. E. Jr and A. L. Basolo. 2007. Host preferences in a phonotactic parasitoid of field crickets: the relative importance of host song characters. Ecological Entomology 32: 478-484. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr, A. R. Smith, and A. L. Basolo. 2007. False promises: females spurn cheating males in a field cricket. Biology Letters 3: 379-381. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr and A. L. Basolo. 2007. The relative importance of different direct benefits in the mate choices of a field cricket. Evolution 61: 617-622. REPRINT> Basolo, A. L. and W. E. Wagner Jr. 2006. Genetic variation in maternal investment patterns in platyfish, Xiphophorus maculatus. Zebrafish 3: 339-345. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. 2005. Male field crickets that provide reproductive benefits to females incur higher costs. Ecological Entomology 30: 350-357. REPRINT> Olvido, A. E. and W. E. Wagner Jr. 2004. Signal components, acoustic preference functions, and sexual selection in a cricket. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 83: 461-472. REPRINT> Basolo, A. L. and W. E. Wagner Jr. 2004. Covariation between predation risk, body size and fin elaboration in the green swordtail, Xiphophorus helleri. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 83: 87-100. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. and C. J. Harper. 2003. Female life span and fertility are increased by the ejaculates of preferred males. Evolution 57: 2054-2066. REPRINT> Rosenthal, G. G., W. E. Wagner Jr. and M. J. Ryan. 2002. Secondary reduction of preference for swords in Xiphophorus nigrensis (Pisces: Poeciliidae). Animal Behaviour 63: 37-45. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr., M. R. Smeds and D. D. Wiegmann. 2001. Experience affects female responses to male song in the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps (Orthoptera, Gryllidae). Ethology 107: 769-776. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr., R. J. Kelly, K. R. Tucker and C. J. Harper. 2001. Females receive a lifespan benefit from male ejaculates in a field cricket. Evolution 55: 994-1001. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. and M. G. Reiser. 2000. The relative importance of calling song and courtship song in female mate choice in the variable field cricket. Animal Behaviour 59: 1219-1226. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. and W. W. Hoback. 1999. Nutritional effects on male calling behaviour in the variable field cricket. Animal Behaviour 57: 89-95. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. 1998. Measuring female mating preferences. Animal Behaviour 55: 1029-1042. REPRINT> Hoback, W. W. and W. E. Wagner Jr. 1997. The energetic cost of calling in the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps. Physiological Entomology 22: 286-290. REPRINT> Morris, M., W. E. Wagner Jr., and M. J. Ryan. 1996. A negative correlation between trait and mate preference in Xiphophorus pygmaeus. Animal Behaviour 52: 1193-1203. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. 1996. Convergent song preferences between female field crickets and acoustically orienting parasitoid flies. Behavioral Ecology 7: 279-285. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr., A.-M. Murray, and W. H. Cade. 1995. Phenotypic variation in the mating preferences of female field crickets (Gryllus integer). Animal Behaviour 49: 1269- 1281. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. and B. K. Sullivan. 1995. Sexual selection in the Gulf Coast toad (Bufo valliceps): female choice based on variable characters. Animal Behaviour 49: 305-319. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. 1992. Deceptive or honest signalling of fighting ability? A test of alternative hypotheses for the function of changes in call dominant frequency by male cricket frogs. Animal Behaviour 44: 449-462. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. and B. K. Sullivan. 1992. Chorus organization in the Gulf Coast toad (Bufo valliceps): male and female behavior, and the opportunity for sexual selection. Copeia 1992: 647-658. REPRINT> Ryan, M. J., D. K. Hews, and W. E. Wagner Jr. 1990. Sexual selection on alleles that determine body size in the swordtail Xiphophorus nigrensis. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 26: 231-237. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. 1989. Fighting, assessment, and frequency alteration in Blanchard's cricket frog. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 25: 429-436. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. 1989. Graded aggressive signals in Blanchard's cricket frog: vocal responses to opponent proximity and size. Animal Behaviour 38: 1025-1038. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. 1989. Social correlates of variation in male calling behavior in Blanchard's cricket frog, Acris crepitans blanchardi. Ethology 82: 27-45. REPRINT> Sullivan, B. K. and W. E. Wagner Jr. 1988. Variation in advertisement and release calls, and social influences on calling behavior in the Gulf Coast toad (Bufo valliceps). Copeia 1988: 1014-1020. REPRINT> Ryan, M. J. and W. E. Wagner Jr. 1987. Mating asymmetries between species: female swordtails prefer to mate with heterospecifics. Science 236: 595-597. REPRINT> Wagner, W. E. Jr. 1986. Tadpoles and pollen: observations on the feeding behavior of Hyla regilla larvae. Copeia 1986: 802-804. REPRINT>