Zoologist

A distinguished zoologist whose experiments with Pat Monaghan were the first to demonstrate that female birds of certain species could adjust the sex ratio of the eggs they produced in response to environmental circumstances.

Connection to the University of Glasgow: Professor

Discover more zoologists on the University of Glasgow Story website

Achievements

The following achievement is associated with David Houston:

First experimental demonstration that maternal condition of birds can manipulate the sex ratio of their offspring
This study was the first experimental demonstration that females could adjust the sex ratio of the eggs they produced in response to environmental circumstances.

Biography

David Houston is an Honorary Professor in the Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. He held a personal professorship in zoology until his retirement in 2008.

In 1999 along with his colleague Pat Monaghan led research into the first experimental demonstration that the maternal condition of birds can manipulate the sex ratio of their offspring. His research interests include bird and mammal ecology, with particular emphasis on the ecological consequences of physiological constraints.

Visit his staff page.