Ecological and behavioral dynamics of an adaptive radiation

Adaptive radiations are responsible for generating much of Earth's bidiversity.  however, most adaptive radiations are millions of years old, making it difficult to study the mechanisms of diversification.  Another challenge is that many adaptive radiations have a poorly characterized ecology, which further limits our understanding of diversification.  I will discuss some of my recent work on a yount adaptive radiation of seed-eating finches (red crossbills), ideas for future work in this system, and what crossbills can tell us about evolution more generally.