Tanya Detto
Papers
2
Total Citations
130
H-Index
2
About
Tanya Detto is a behavioral ecologist whose research centers on mate choice, sexual selection, and the evolutionary trade-offs that shape animal decision-making. Her work, primarily on fiddler crabs, has provided critical experimental evidence for how environmental and physiological costs influence female mating preferences. In her highly cited 2008 study, Detto demonstrated that female fiddler crabs often “settle for less” by accepting nearby, lower-quality males rather than traveling farther to assess more attractive suitors—revealing that travel costs can directly constrain mate choice. Her 2010 paper, with 69 citations, provided groundbreaking experimental evidence for a seasonal shift in the strength of a female mating preference, showing that the costs and benefits of choosiness can vary over time, leading to phenotypic plasticity in mate choice criteria. This work has been instrumental in understanding how dynamic ecological contexts shape sexual selection. With over 130 combined citations for these two key studies, Detto’s research has significantly advanced the field by integrating behavioral ecology with evolutionary theory, offering elegant insights into the real-world constraints on mate choice.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 2Female fiddler crabs settle for less: the travel costs of mate choice61 citations · 2008