Peter Otovic
Papers
1
Total Citations
39
H-Index
1
About
Peter Otovic is a behavioral ecologist whose research centers on animal communication, visual signaling, and the evolutionary pressures shaping display behavior in lizards. His most-cited work, “Assessing display variability in wild brown anoles *Anolis sagrei* using a mechanical lizard model” (2011, 39 citations), challenges a long-held assumption in behavioral biology: that species-identity signals should be rigidly stereotyped. By deploying robotic lizard models in the field, Otovic demonstrated that the head-bobbing “signature” displays of brown anoles are surprisingly variable—a finding that reshaped our understanding of signal reliability and receiver psychology. This innovative use of biomimetic robots to test wild animals exemplifies his methodological creativity. Otovic’s contributions bridge ethology and sensory ecology, showing how variation itself can be adaptive. His work is essential reading for students of animal behavior, particularly those interested in how dynamic environments shape communication systems. With a career marked by careful field experiments and a willingness to overturn dogma, Otovic remains a key voice in the study of visual signaling in reptiles.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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