“Acceptance Speech” Frontiers of Knowledge Award 2023 in Ecology and Conservation Biology

Acceptance speech by Marlene Zuk, winner of the 2023 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology, who was honored alongside Susan C. Alberts and Jeanne Altmann for their outstanding contributions to the study of animal behavioral and evolutionary ecology. Her research has helped explain how interactions between parasites and their hosts influence sexual selection, reproduction and species evolution.

Zuk explains how research on crickets has revealed the ability of insects to adapt their behavior in response to parasitic threats. She describes how a genetic mutation that prevents certain males from singing allows them to avoid parasitic flies while adopting alternative reproductive strategies. She also highlights the importance of behavioral plasticity and emphasizes the need to include small animals and their interactions in biodiversity conservation strategies.