Welcome to the Queen's University Biological Station (QUBS) one of the premier scientific field stations in North America. For over 50 years researchers and students have gathered at QUBS to conduct research and participate in courses spanning ecology, evolution, conservation and environmental biology.

Featured researcher:  Jenna Kewin (supervisor: Beth MacDougall-Shackleton, Western).

The relationship between genetic diversity and fitness has been and continues to be a source of interest and debate amongst scientists. Inbreeding has been associated with decreased reproductive success and immune system strength, but evidence for individual heterozygote advantage and inbreeding avoidance is mixed. I aim to study whether there is a correlation between heterozygosity and fitness in a population of song sparrows near Queen’s University Biological Station.

To assess the influence of genetic diversity on fitness and behaviour I will use 18 genetic markers and several indicators of survivorship and reproductive success. If heterozygosity is associated with increased fitness, I will study how this might influence behaviour. Specifically, I will look at whether females are choosing more genetically dissimilar males for their social or extra-pair mates, and whether parents will invest more time and energy in offspring who are more heterozygous. To assess parental care, I banded all adults with a unique Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag, and then placed an antenna at each nest for two days. The antennas record when each parent visits the nest and for how long, allowing me to have a comprehensive account of the time males and females are spending at their nests. Nest visitations to incubate, feed or defend young are very energetically expensive for parents, but essential for the nestlings’ development. Greater parental care in the nest will increase the nestlings’ chances of successfully fledging and surviving their first winter.

Through this project I hope to contribute to our understanding of how genetic and environmental factors shape fitness and behaviour.
 

We have now created an on-line forum where you can discuss any issue, post adverts for jobs, or make queries for data. It is in the links to the left of this page.

We are creating an on-line data archive for Queen's University Biological Station, where we will ultimately archive data collected at QUBS and environs. 

Please visit our new Natural History Blog where you will find interesting natural history observations, species accounts, new distributional records, pleas for help on your research, comments on posted articles, and notes on the cultural or geological history of Eastern Ontario. ... more

June 2008: Rideau Canal name UN Heritage Site ... more