Nicole Perfito

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Princeton University

Research Interests: My main research interest is how individuals perceive and integrate information in their environment to appropriately time reproduction. Specifically, I am interested in how extremely flexible (opportunistic) breeding strategies are regulated, so that individuals are able to quickly exploit periods when resources are abundant. Unlike the temperate regions of mid-latitudes where resources show highly regular fluctuations over the year, resource abundance at lower latitudes can be unpredictable. Therefore, individuals breeding in lower latitudes must have the ability to rapidly respond to favorable environmental conditions.

The Australian zebra finch is well known for its opportunistic breeding strategy in response to unpredictable conditions in arid parts of Australia. In a collaborative project with Richard Zann of La Trobe University in Melbourne, I plan to study breeding Zebra finches in the wild to better understand the role of hormones in the physiological control of reproduction in this opportunistic breeder. In addition, I will use Zebra finches in the laboratory to study the neuroendocrine response to rapidly changing conditions that are known to affect reproductive behavior and physiology.

Mailing Address:
EEB Dept.
307 Guyot Hall, Washington Road
Princeton, New Jersey 08544

E-mail: nperfito@princeton.edu
Phone: 609-258-1935 / Fax: 609-258-7892

Education:
M.Sc. University of Washington, Dept. of Psychology (Animal Behavior) "Seasonal modulation of response to unpredictable stimuli and correlates of non-breeding in Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus)" Advisor: Dr. Joan Lockard

Ph.D. University of Washington, Dept. of Zoology "Environmental control of reproduction along an altitudinal gradient" Advisor: Dr. John Wingfield

Publications:
Perfito, N., G. Schirato, M. Brown, J.C. Wingfield. (2002) Response to acute stress in the Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) during the breeding season and moult: relationships to gender, condition and life history stage. Can. Jnl. of Zool. (in press).

Moore, I.T., Perfito, N., Wada, H., Sperry, T. and Wingfield, J.C. (2002) Latitudinal variation in plasma testosterone levels in birds of the genus Zonotrichia. Gen. Comp. Endocrin. (in press).

Bentley, G.E., Perfito, N., Ukena, K., Tsutsui, K., and Wingfield, J.C. (2002) Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) and House sparrows (Passer domesticus): Distribution and possible co-localization with gonadotropin-releasing hormone. (submitted).

Moore, I.T., Wada, H., Perfito, N., Busch, D.S., Hahn, T.P., and Wingfield, J.C. (2002) Territoriality and testosterone in an equatorial population of rufous-collared sparrows, Zonotrichia capensis. (submitted)

Tramontin, A.D., and N. Perfito. (2001). Seasonal growth of the song control nuclei precedes seasonal reproductive development in wild adult song sparrows. Gen. Comp. Endocrin. 122:1-9.

Wingfield, J.C., J.D. Jacobs, A.D. Tramontin, N. Perfito, S. Meddle, D.L. Maney and K. Soma. (2000). Toward an ecological basis of hormone-behavior interactions in reproduction of birds. In: Reproduction in Context; Social and Environmental Influences on Reproductive Physiology and Behavior. K. Wallen and J. E. Schneider, eds.

Published abstracts:
Perfito, N., A.D. Tramontin, H. Wada and J.C. Wingfield (2002) Environmental and endocrine regulation of reproduction in song sparrows along an altitudinal gradient. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Anaheim, CA.

Perfito, N., S.L. Meddle, P.J. Sharp, and J.C. Wingfield. (2001) Seasonal gonadal recrudescence in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia): response to temperature cues. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Chicago, IL.

Perfito, N., A.D. Tramontin, H. Wada and J.C. Wingfield (1999) Effects of visual cues on seasonal ovarian recrudescence in songbirds. Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Charlottesville, VA.