For most of my career I have been studying reproductive strategies in vertebrates, in particular sexual selection mechanisms and processes occurring before and after mating and how they are aligned with natural selection (i.e. they concur to population viability). These themes are increasingly relevant in the current biodiversity crisis and my present research is specifically aimed at investigating how climate warming, in particular heatwaves, modifies animals' reproductive strategies and the consequences these changes may have on their populations. These research projects are in collaboration with colleagues from the Department of Biology and from other Universities and research centers in Italy and abroad. We are studying two bird populations breeding in nest boxes: a large lesser kestrel breeding colony in Matera (where heatwaves are becoming so intense to put the population at risk) and a population of rock sparrows on the Alps, where climate warming is positively affecting survival and reproductive success. Finally, we are investigating how heatwaves may affect sexual selection dynamics in a small tropical fish, the guppy.

Master's theses are available on sexual selection and reproduction conducted on Rock Sparrows (Petronia petronia) and Lesser Kestrels (Falco naumanni). The aim of these studies is to evaluate the role of selective episodes related to reproduction in relation to climate change. These research projects are based on behavioral experiments, morphological and physiological measurements. Male reproductive success is ultimately estimated through DNA-based paternity analysis. The thesis may involve fieldwork at various research stations (Matera, Sestriere, Spain) and laboratory work (video analysis, molecular analysis, etc.). Fieldwork takes place from late May to mid-July (Matera and Spain) and from late May to late August (Sestriere).