Dr Rhonda R Snook
Tel: +44 (0) 114 222 0126
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 0002
email : r.snook@sheffield.ac.uk
Career
BS (1989) Western Michigan University
PhD (1995), Patricia Harris Fellow, Arizona State University
NIH NRSA postdoctoral associate (1996-1998) University of Chicago
Assistant Professor (1998-2001) University of Nevada Las Vegas
Lecturer (2001 - 2005) University of Sheffield
Senior Lecturer (2005 - ) University of Sheffield
Maternity Leave (2005, 2008)
Key Research Interests
Experimental evolution; sperm form and function; reproduction; behaviour; reproductive isolation and speciation; mechanisms of sperm competition; sexual conflict; immunity.
Professional Activities
Deciding Editor, Journal of Evolutionary Biology (2007-2010)
Associate Editor, Evolution (2006-2008)
Consulting Editor, Animal Behaviour (2006-2008)
Board of Reviewers, Journal of Evolutionary Biology (2003-2006)
Symposium Organizer (SEE 2003; ESEB 2003)
Teaching
Dr. Rhonda Snook is APS Admission Tutor, a member of the APS Teaching Committee and in the past has served as the Level 4 tutor and the tutor for Biology with a Year Abroad.
My emphasis, across all levels of teaching, is to ensure that students become part of a scientifically literate public so that they can function as informed and socially aware citizens with an ability to contribute to their communities. I use current research to inform what I teach and strive to share my passion for biology and discovery to students. My teaching philosophy develops a student’s knowledge base but also expects them to exercise increasing levels of self-discovery and independence.
At Level 1, I lecture on two courses, APS 119 and APS 120. These lectures emphasize my research interests in animals, insects in particular, and their physiology and reproduction. I also teach two practicals which focus on the use of genetics to ask evolutionary questions. I enjoy teaching small group Level 1 tutorials as this is one place I get to emphasize aspects of undergraduate teaching I am interested in, such as writing and critical thinking skills. At the tutorial level, I am especially focused on how science is done and use tutorial exercises to highlight this.
At Level 2, I am module coordinator for APS 220. This module reflects my major research area of evolutionary biology. My approach to Level 2 tutorials is similar to Level 1, accentuating critical scientific thinking and the ability to communicate scientific ideas clearly and unambiguously.
My philosophy on Level 3 and Level 4 Projects is to embed students directly into my laboratory, allowing students to develop research projects that directly contribute to the scientific literature. For Level 3 and Level 4 Dissertations, students are encouraged to think independently and explore topics that they have a desire to learn about.
Research Group
Postdocs
Helen Crudgington - NERC
Sex differences in immunity: the role of sexual selection
email : h.crudgington@sheffield.ac.uk
Sarah Fahle - The Leverhulme Trust
Understanding fertilization by integrating biology and computer science
email : s.fahle@sheffield.ac.uk
Nelly Gidaszewski - NERC
Consequences of mating systems structure on genetic architechture and reproductuve isolation
email : n.gidaszewski@sheffield.ac.uk
PhD Students
Sarah Fellows - BBSRC
Sexual selection and the rapid evolution of reproductive gene expression
email : bop08sf@sheffield.ac.uk
Allan Debelle - EU Marie Curie SPECIATION Initial Training Network Fellow.
The role of sexual selection in the evolution of reproductive isolation
Technician
Jess Edwards - NERC
Sex differences in immunity: the role of sexual selection
Recent Publications (2001 to present)
Experimental Evolution
Snook, R.R., L. Brűstle, J. Slate. 2009. A test and review of the role of effective population size on experimental sexual selection patterns. Evolution doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00682.x
Crudgington, H.S., S. Fellows, N.S. Badcock, and R.R. Snook. 2009. Experimental manipulation of sexual selection promotes greater mating capacity but does not alter sperm investment. Evolution 63: 926-938.
Price, T.A.R., A.J. Bretman, T.D. Avent, R.R. Snook, G.D.D. Hurst and N. Wedell. 2008. Sex ratio distorter reduces sperm competitive ability in an insect. Evolution 62: 1644-1652.
Bacigalupe, L., H.S. Crudgington, J. Slate, A.J. Moore, and R.R. Snook. 2008. Sexual selection and interacting phenotypes in experimental evolution: a study of Drosophila pseudoobscura mating behavior. Evolution 62: 1804-1812.
Bacigalupe, L., H.S. Crudgington, F. Hunter, A.J. Moore, and R.R. Snook. 2007. Sexual conflict does not drive reproductive isolation in experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20: 1763-1771.
Crudgington, H.S., A.P. Beckerman, L. Brűstle, K. Green, and R.R. Snook. 2005. Experimental removal and elevation of sexual selection: does sexual selection generate manipulative males and resistant females? American Naturalist 165: S72-S87.
Snook, R.R., A. Robertson, H. S. Crudgington, and M.G. Ritchie. 2005. Experimental manipulation of sexual selection and the evolution of courtship song. Behavior Genetics 35: 245-255.
Sperm Evolution
Lessells, C.M., R.R. Snook, and D.J. Hosken. 2009. The evolution of sperm: selection for a small, motile gamete. In Sperm Biology: an Evolutionary Perspective, ed. TR Birkhead, DJ Hosken, and S Pitnick. Academic Press.
Karr, T.L., W.J. Swanson, and R.R. Snook. 2009. The evolutionary significance of variation in sperm-egg interactions. In Sperm Biology: an Evolutionary Perspective, ed. TR Birkhead, DJ Hosken, and S Pitnick. Academic Press.
Holman, L., and R.R. Snook. 2008. A sterile sperm caste protects brother fertile sperm from female-mediated death in Drosophila pseudoobscura. Current Biology 18: 292-296.
Holman, L., R.P. Freckleton, and R.R. Snook. 2008. What use is an infertile sperm? A comparative examination of parasperm function in sperm heteromorphic Drosophila. Evolution 62: 374-385.
Holman, L., and R.R. Snook. 2006. Spermicide, cryptic female choice, and the evolution of sperm form and function. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 19: 1660-1670.
Snook, R.R. 2005. Sperm in competition: not playing by the numbers. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 20:46-53.
Till-Bottraud, I., D. Joly, D. Lachaise, and R.R. Snook. 2005. Pollen and sperm heteromorphism: convergence across kingdoms? J Evol Biol. 18:1-18.
Snook, R.R., and D.J. Hosken. 2004. Sperm death and dumping in Drosophila. Nature 428: 939-941.
Snook, R. R., and T.A. Markow. 2002. Efficiency of gamete usage in nature: sperm storage, fertilization, and polyspermy. P Roy Soc Lond B Bio 269: 467-473.
Snook, R.R., and T.A. Markow. 2001. Mating system evolution in sperm heteromorphic Drosophila. Journal of Insect Physiology 47(9): 957-964.
Snook, R.R. 2001. Sperm heteromorphism in rapidly colonizing North American Drosophila suboobscura. Pan-Pacific Entomologist 77: 261-271.
Sexual Conflict
Bacigalupe, L., H.S. Crudgington, F. Hunter, A.J. Moore, and R.R. Snook. 2007. Sexual conflict does not drive reproductive isolation in experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20: 1763-1771.
Crudgington, H.S., A.P. Beckerman, L. Brűstle, K. Green, and R.R. Snook. 2005. Experimental removal and elevation of sexual selection: does sexual selection generate manipulative males and resistant females? American Naturalist 165: S72-S87.
Pizzari, T, and R.R. Snook. 2004. Sexual conflict and sexual selection: measuring antagonistic coevolution. Evolution 58: 1389-1393.
Pizzari, T, and R.R. Snook. 2003. Perspective: Sexual conflict and sexual selection: chasing away paradigm shifts. Evolution 57 (6): 1223-1236.
Snook, R.R. 2001. Sexual selection: Conflict, kindness, and chicanery. Current Biology 11: R337-341.
Speciation
Snook, R.R., H.S. Crudgington, T. Chapman, P. J. Moore, and N. Wedell. 2009. Interactions between the sexes: new perspectives on sexual selection and reproductive isolation. Evolutionary Ecology 23:71–91
Bacigalupe, L., H.S. Crudgington, F. Hunter, A.J. Moore, and R.R. Snook. 2007. Sexual conflict does not drive reproductive isolation in experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20: 1763-1771.
Snook, R.R., A. Robertson, H. S. Crudgington, and M.G. Ritchie. 2005. Experimental manipulation of sexual selection and the evolution of courtship song. Behavior Genetics 35: 245-255.
Bernasconi, G., T.-L. Ashman, T.R. Birkhead, J.D.D. Bishop, U. Grossniklaus, E. Kubli, D.L. Marshall, B. Schmid, I. Skogsmyr, R.R. Snook, D. Taylor, I. Till-Bottraud, P.I. Ward, D.W. Zeh, and B. Hellriegel. 2004. Evolutionary ecology of the pre-zygotic stage in animals and flowering plants. Science 303:971-975.