Prof Ian Owens

Prof Ian Owens

Director of Science

Department: Science Directorate
Division: Science Directorate
Phones:
work: 020 7942 5299
work: 020 7942 5374

Summary

Director of Science with responsibility for collections, research and science facilities.

Personal research based on a combination of experimental, phylogenetic and molecular approaches to study the evolutionary ecology of vertebrates, particularly birds. Current areas of particular interest include:

- Large-scale patterns of biodiversity

- Ecological impacts of climate change

- Genetics of wild populations

- Speciation and diversification

- Phylogeny and ecology of extinction

Qualifications

    Degrees

  • PhD, University of Leciester, UK, 1988 - 1991
  • BSc Zoology, University of Liverpool, UK, 1985 - 1988

Employment history

    Academic

  • Professor, Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, UK, 2004 - ongoing
  • Lecturer, Reader, Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, UK, 2000 - 2004
  • Lecturer, University of Queensland, Schhol of Biological Sciences, UK, 1995 - 2000
  • NERC Research Fellow, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, UK, 1991 - 1995
  • Non-academic

    Council Member, British Trust for Ornithology, 2012 - ongoing

    Honorary Research Fellow, Zoological Society of London, 2008 - ongoing

    Trustee and Deputy Chair, National Biodiversity Network Trust, 2011 - ongoing

Other projects

NHM Initiative Pest and Crop Wild Relatives
Role: Champion
Funding: Museum development
Dates: 2015 - 2017.

Committees

Member, Encyclopaedia of Life, Council,

Member, British Trust for Ornithology, Trustee Board,

Member, National Biodiversity Network, Trustee Board,,

Publications

Bell SC, Owens IPF, Lord AM (2014) Quality of breeding territory mediates the influence of paternal quality on sex ratio bias in a free-living bird population. Behavioral Ecology, 25 (2) : 352 - 358. doi: 10.1093/beheco/art112

Peck HL, Pringle HE, Marshall HH, Owens IPF, Lord AM (2014) Experimental evidence of impacts of an invasive parakeet on foraging behavior of native birds. Behavioral Ecology, 25 (3) : 582 - 590. doi: 10.1093/beheco/aru025

Keith SA, Webb TJ, Böhning-Gaese K, Connolly SR, Dulvy NK, Eigenbrod F, Jones KE, Price T, Redding DW, Owens IPF, Isaac NJB (2012) What is macroecology?. Biology Letters, 8 (6) : 904 - 906. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0672

Jenkins T, Thomas GH, Hellgren O, Owens IPF (2012) MIGRATORY BEHAVIOR OF BIRDS AFFECTS THEIR COEVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIP WITH BLOOD PARASITES. Evolution, 66 (3) : 740 - 751. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01470.x

Pigot AL, Owens IPF, Orme CDL (null) Speciation and Extinction Drive the Appearance of Directional Range Size Evolution in Phylogenies and the Fossil Record. PLoS Biology, 10 (2) : e1001260 - e1001260. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001260

JENKINS TANIA, OWENS IANPF (2011) Biogeography of avian blood parasites (Leucocytozoon spp.) in two resident hosts across Europe: phylogeographic structuring or the abundance-occupancy relationship?. Molecular Ecology, 20 (18) : 3910 - 3920. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05221.x

Pigot AL, Phillimore AB, Owens IPF, Orme CDL (2010) The Shape and Temporal Dynamics of Phylogenetic Trees Arising from Geographic Speciation. Systematic Biology, 59 (6) : 660 - 673. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syq058

Pigot AL, Owens IPF, Orme CDL (null) The environmental limits to geographic range expansion in birds. Ecology Letters, 13 (6) : 705 - 715. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01462.x

Powney GD, Grenyer R, Orme CDL, Owens IPF, Meiri S (2010) Hot, dry and different: Australian lizard richness is unlike that of mammals, amphibians and birds. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 19 (3) : 386 - 396. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00521.x

Ishtiaq F, Clegg SM, Phillimore AB, Black RA, Owens IPF, Sheldon BC (null) Biogeographical patterns of blood parasite lineage diversity in avian hosts from southern Melanesian islands. Journal of Biogeography, 37 (1) : 120 - 132. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02189.x

Olson VA, Davies RG, Orme CDL, Thomas GH, Meiri S, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ, Owens IPF, Bennett PM (2009) Global biogeography and ecology of body size in birds. Ecology Letters, 12 (3) : 249 - 259. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01281.x

ISHTIAQ F, GUILLAUMOT L, CLEGG SM, PHILLIMORE AB, BLACK RA, OWENS IPF, MUNDY NI, SHELDON BC (2008) Avian haematozoan parasites and their associations with mosquitoes across Southwest Pacific Islands. Molecular Ecology, 17 (20) : 4545 - 4555. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03935.x

Clegg SM, Frentiu FD, Kikkawa J, Tavecchia G, Owens IPF (2008) 4000 YEARS OF PHENOTYPIC CHANGE IN AN ISLAND BIRD: HETEROGENEITY OF SELECTION OVER THREE MICROEVOLUTIONARY TIMESCALES. Evolution, 62 (9) : 2393 - 2410. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00437.x

PHILLIMORE AB, OWENS IPF, BLACK RA, CHITTOCK J, BURKE T, CLEGG SM (2008) Complex patterns of genetic and phenotypic divergence in an island bird and the consequences for delimiting conservation units. Molecular Ecology, 17 (12) : 2839 - 2853. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03794.x

Phillimore AB, Orme CDL, Thomas GH, Blackburn TM, Bennett PM, Gaston KJ, Owens IPF (2008) Sympatric Speciation in Birds Is Rare: Insights from Range Data and Simulations. The American Naturalist, 171 (5) : 646 - 657. doi: 10.1086/587074

Thomas GH, Orme CDL, Davies RG, Olson VA, Bennett PM, Gaston KJ, Owens IPF, Blackburn TM (2008) Regional variation in the historical components of global avian species richness. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 17 (3) : 340 - 351. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2008.00384.x

Frentiu FD, Clegg SM, Chittock J, Burke T, Blows MW, Owens IPF (2008) Pedigree-free animal models: the relatedness matrix reloaded. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275 (1635) : 639 - 647. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1032

Grenyer R, Orme CDL, Davies TJ, Jackson SF, Davies RG, Olson VA, Jones KE, Gaston KJ, Blackburn TM, Thomas GH, Bennett PM, Rasmussen PC, Ding T-S, Gittleman JL, Owens IPF (2007) Grenyer et al. reply. Nature, 450 (7171) : E20 - E20. doi: 10.1038/nature06375

Gaston KJ, Davies RG, Orme CDL, Olson VA, Thomas GH, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Lennon JJ, Bennett PM, Owens IPF, Blackburn TM (2007) Spatial turnover in the global avifauna. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274 (1618) : 1567 - 1574. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2007.0236

Davies RG, Orme CDL, Storch D, Olson VA, Thomas GH, Ross SG, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Bennett PM, Owens IPF, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ (2007) Topography, energy and the global distribution of bird species richness. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274 (1614) : 1189 - 1197. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2006.0061

Phillimore AB, Orme CDL, Davies RG, Hadfield JD, Reed WJ, Gaston KJ, Freckleton RP, Owens IPF (2007) BIOGEOGRAPHICAL BASIS OF RECENT PHENOTYPIC DIVERGENCE AMONG BIRDS: A GLOBAL STUDY OF SUBSPECIES RICHNESS. Evolution, 61 (4) : 942 - 957. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00068.x

FRENTIU FD, CLEGG SM, BLOWS MW, OWENS IPF (2007) Large body size in an island-dwelling bird: a microevolutionary analysis. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20 (2) : 639 - 649. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01242.x

HADFIELD JD, NUTALL A, OSORIO D, OWENS IPF (2007) Testing the phenotypic gambit: phenotypic, genetic and environmental correlations of colour. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20 (2) : 549 - 557. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01262.x

Storch D, Davies RG, Zajíček S, Orme CDL, Olson V, Thomas GH, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Ridgely RS, Bennett PM, Blackburn TM, Owens IPF, Gaston KJ (2006) Energy, range dynamics and global species richness patterns: reconciling mid-domain effects and environmental determinants of avian diversity. Ecology Letters, 9 (12) : 1308 - 1320. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00984.x

Grenyer R, Orme CDL, Jackson SF, Thomas GH, Davies RG, Davies TJ, Jones KE, Olson VA, Ridgely RS, Rasmussen PC, Ding T-S, Bennett PM, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ, Gittleman JL, Owens IPF (2006) Global distribution and conservation of rare and threatened vertebrates. Nature, 444 (7115) : 93 - 96. doi: 10.1038/nature05237

Goss-Custard JD, West AD, Yates MG, Caldow RWG, Stillman RA, Bardsley L, Castilla J, Castro M, Dierschke V, dit Durell SEALV, Eichhorn G, Ens BJ, Exo K-M, Udayangani-Fernando PU, Ferns PN, Hockey PAR, Gill JA, Johnstone I, Kalejta-Summers B, Masero JA, Moreira F, Nagarajan RV, Owens IPF, Pacheco C, Perez-Hurtado A, Rogers D, Scheiffarth G, Sitters H, Sutherland WJ, Triplet P, Worrall1 DH, Zharikov Y, Zwarts L, Pettifor RA (2006) Intake rates and the functional response in shorebirds (Charadriiformes) eating macro-invertebrates. Biological Reviews, 81 (04) : 501 - 501. doi: 10.1017/s1464793106007093

Davies RG, Orme CDL, Olson V, Thomas GH, Ross SG, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Stattersfield AJ, Bennett PM, Blackburn TM, Owens IPF, Gaston KJ (2006) Human impacts and the global distribution of extinction risk. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273 (1598) : 2127 - 2133. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3551

Phillimore AB, Freckleton RP, Orme CDL, Owens IPF (2006) Ecology Predicts Large‐Scale Patterns of Phylogenetic Diversification in Birds. The American Naturalist, 168 (2) : 220 - 229. doi: 10.1086/505763

Orme CDL, Davies RG, Olson VA, Thomas GH, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Ridgely RS, Stattersfield AJ, Bennett PM, Owens IPF, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ (null) Global Patterns of Geographic Range Size in Birds. PLoS Biology, 4 (7) : e208 - e208. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0040208

Owens IPF (2006) Where is behavioural ecology going?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 21 (7) : 356 - 361. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2006.03.014

Hadfield JD, Burgess MD, Lord A, Phillimore AB, Clegg SM, Owens IPF (2006) Direct versus indirect sexual selection: genetic basis of colour, size and recruitment in a wild bird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273 (1592) : 1347 - 1353. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3459

Phillimore AB, Owens IPF (2006) Are subspecies useful in evolutionary and conservation biology?. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273 (1590) : 1049 - 1053. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3425

OLSON VA, OWENS IPF (null) Interspecific variation in the use of carotenoid-based coloration in birds: diet, life history and phylogeny. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 18 (6) : 1534 - 1546. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2005.00940.x

Cardillo M, Orme CDL, Owens IPF (2005) TESTING FOR LATITUDINAL BIAS IN DIVERSIFICATION RATES: AN EXAMPLE USING NEW WORLD BIRDS. Ecology, 86 (9) : 2278 - 2287. doi: 10.1890/05-0112

Orme CDL, Davies RG, Burgess M, Eigenbrod F, Pickup N, Olson VA, Webster AJ, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Ridgely RS, Stattersfield AJ, Bennett PM, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ, Owens IPF (2005) Global hotspots of species richness are not congruent with endemism or threat. Nature, 436 (7053) : 1016 - 1019. doi: 10.1038/nature03850

Arnold KE, Owens IPF, Goldizen AW (2005) Division of labour within cooperatively breeding groups. Behaviour, 142 (11-12) : 1577 - 1590. doi: 10.1163/156853905774831927

Bennett PM, Owens IPF, Nussey D, Garnett ST, Crowley GM (2005) Mechanisms of extinction in birds: phylogeny, ecology and threats. PHYLOGENY AND CONSERVATION 8 : 317 - 336.

Gleeson DJ, Blows MW, Owens IPF (2005) Genetic covariance between indices of body condition and immunocompetence in a passerine bird. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 5 (1) : doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-5-61

Fisher DO, Owens IPF (2004) The comparative method in conservation biology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 19 (7) : 391 - 398. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2004.05.004

Stuart-Fox DM, Moussalli A, Johnston GR, Owens IPF (2004) EVOLUTION OF COLOR VARIATION IN DRAGON LIZARDS: QUANTITATIVE TESTS OF THE ROLE OF CRYPSIS AND LOCAL ADAPTATION. Evolution, 58 (7) : 1549 - 1559. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2004.tb01735.x

Robinson-Wolrath SI, Owens IPF (2003) Large size in an island-dwelling bird: intraspecific competition and the Dominance Hypothesis. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 16 (6) : 1106 - 1114. doi: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00615.x

Fisher DO, Blomberg SP, Owens IPF (2003) Extrinsic versus intrinsic factors in the decline and extinction of Australian marsupials. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 270 (1526) : 1801 - 1808. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2447

Frentiu FD, Lange CL, Burke T, Owens IPF (2003) Isolation of microsatellite loci in the Capricorn silvereye,Zosterops lateralis chlorocephalus(Aves: Zosteropidae). Molecular Ecology Notes, 3 (3) : 462 - 464. doi: 10.1046/j.1471-8286.2003.00484.x

Scott SN, Clegg SM, Blomberg SP, Kikkawa J, Owens IPF (2003) MORPHOLOGICAL SHIFTS IN ISLAND‐DWELLING BIRDS: THE ROLES OF GENERALIST FORAGING AND NICHE EXPANSION. Evolution, 57 (9) : 2147 - 2156. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2003.tb00392.x

Stuart-Fox DM, Moussalli A, Marshall NJ, Owens IPF (2003) Conspicuous males suffer higher predation risk: visual modelling and experimental evidence from lizards. Animal Behaviour, 66 (3) : 541 - 550. doi: 10.1006/anbe.2003.2235

Stuart-Fox D, Owens IPF (2003) Species richness in agamid lizards: chance, body size, sexual selection or ecology?. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 16 (4) : 659 - 669. doi: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00573.x

Wilson K, Moore SL, Owens IPF (2003) Response to Comment on "Parasites as a Viability Cost of Sexual Selection in Natural Populations of Mammals". Science, 300 (5616) : 55 - 55. doi: 10.1126/science.1081430

Hausmann F, Arnold KE, Marshall NJ, Owens IPF (2003) Ultraviolet signals in birds are special. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 270 (1510) : 61 - 67. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2002.2200

Griffith SC, Owens IPF, Thuman KA (null) Extra pair paternity in birds: a review of interspecific variation and adaptive function. Molecular Ecology, 11 (11) : 2195 - 2212. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2002.01613.x

Clegg SM, Degnan SM, Moritz C, Estoup A, Kikkawa J, Owens IPF (2002) MICROEVOLUTION IN ISLAND FORMS: THE ROLES OF DRIFT AND DIRECTIONAL SELECTION IN MORPHOLOGICAL DIVERGENCE OF A PASSERINE BIRD. Evolution, 56 (10) : 2090 - 2099. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb00134.x

F. Owens IP (2002) ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION: Sex Differences in Mortality Rate. Science, 297 (5589) : 2008 - 2009. doi: 10.1126/science.1076813

Owens IPF (2002) Sex differences in mortality rate. SCIENCE, 297 (5589) : 2008 - 2009. doi: 10.1126/science.1076813

Clegg SM, Owens PF (2002) The ‘island rule’ in birds: medium body size and its ecological explanation. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 269 (1498) : 1359 - 1365. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2002.2024

McNaught MK, Owens IPF (null) Interspecific variation in plumage colour among birds: species recognition or light environment?. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 15 (4) : 505 - 514. doi: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00431.x

Arnold KE, Owens IPF (2002) Extra-pair paternity and egg dumping in birds: life history, parental care and the risk of retaliation. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 269 (1497) : 1263 - 1269. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2002.2013

Clegg SM, Degnan SM, Kikkawa J, Moritz C, Estoup A, Owens IPF (2002) Genetic consequences of sequential founder events by an island-colonizing bird. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99 (12) : 8127 - 8132. doi: 10.1073/pnas.102583399

Owens IPF (2002) Male–only care and classical polyandry in birds: phylogeny, ecology and sex differences in remating opportunities. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 357 (1419) : 283 - 293. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2001.0929

Arnold KE (2002) Fluorescent Signaling in Parrots. Science, 295 (5552) : 92 - 92. doi: 10.1126/science.295.5552.92

Fisher DO, Blomberg SP, Owens IPF (2002) CONVERGENT MATERNAL CARE STRATEGIES IN UNGULATES AND MACROPODS. Evolution, 56 (1) : 167 - 176. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb00858.x

Fisher DO, Owens IPF, Johnson CN (2001) THE ECOLOGICAL BASIS OF LIFE HISTORY VARIATION IN MARSUPIALS. Ecology, 82 (12) : 3531 - 3540. doi: 10.1890/0012-9658(2001)082[3531:tebolh]2.0.co;2

Kirk KM, Blomberg SP, Duffy DL, Heath AC, Owens IPF, Martin NG (2001) NATURAL SELECTION AND QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF LIFE-HISTORY TRAITS IN WESTERN WOMEN: A TWIN STUDY. Evolution, 55 (2) : 423 - 435. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb01304.x

Harper DGC, Randall DP (2001) Mites on birds. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 16 (1) : 19 - 19. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(00)02014-0

Fisher DO, Owens IPF (2000) Female home range size and the evolution of social organization in macropod marsupials. Journal of Animal Ecology, 69 (6) : 1083 - 1098. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.2000.00450.x

Owens IPF, Bennett PM (2000) Ecological basis of extinction risk in birds: Habitat loss versus human persecution and introduced predators. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97 (22) : 12144 - 12148. doi: 10.1073/pnas.200223397

Proctor H, Owens I (2000) Mites and birds: diversity, parasitism and coevolution. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 15 (9) : 358 - 364. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(00)01924-8

Gleeson D (2000) Differences in initial and acquired resistance to Ichthyophthirius multifiliisbetween populations of rainbowfish. Journal of Fish Biology, 57 (2) : 466 - 475. doi: 10.1006/jfbi.2000.1322

Owens IPF, Bennett PM (2000) Quantifying Biodiversity: a Phenotypic Perspective. Conservation Biology, 14 (4) : 1014 - 1022. doi: 10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.98509.x

Bennett PM, Owens IPF (2000) Evolutionary Ecology of Birds: Life Histories, Mating Systems and Extinction. Oxford University Press : 278.

Widemo F, Owens IPF (1999) Size and stability of vertebrate leks. Animal Behaviour, 58 (6) : 1217 - 1221. doi: 10.1006/anbe.1999.1267

Owens I, Rowe C, Thomas A (1999) Reply from I.P.F. Owens, C. Rowe and A.L.R. Thomas. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 14 (10) : 399 - 399. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(99)01714-0

Griffith SC, Owens IPF, Burke T (1999) Environmental determination of a sexually selected trait. Nature, 400 (6742) : 358 - 360. doi: 10.1038/22536

Owens IPF, Bennett PM, Harvey PH (1999) Species richness among birds: body size, life history, sexual selection or ecology?. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 266 (1422) : 933 - 939. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0726

Royle NJ, Hartley IR, Owens IPF, Parker GA (1999) Sibling competition and the evolution of growth rates in birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 266 (1422) : 923 - 932. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0725

Owens IPF, Wilson K (1999) Immunocompetence: a neglected life history trait or conspicuous red herring?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 14 (5) : 170 - 172. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(98)01580-8

Grffith SC, Owens IPF, Burke T (1999) Female choice and annual reproductive success favour less–ornamented male house sparrows. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 266 (1421) : 765 - 770. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0703

Owens IPF, Rowe C, Thomas ALR (1999) Sexual selection, speciation and imprinting: separating the sheep from the goats. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 14 (4) : 131 - 132. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(98)01578-x

Arnold KE (1999) Cooperative breeding in birds: the role of ecology. Behavioral Ecology, 10 (5) : 465 - 471. doi: 10.1093/beheco/10.5.465

GRIFFITH SIMONC, STEWART IANRK, DAWSON DEBORAHA, OWENS IANPF, BURKE TERRY (1999) Contrasting levels of extra-pair paternity in mainland and island populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus): is there an ‘island effect’?. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 68 (1-2) : Oxford University Press (OUP) : 303 - 316. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1999.tb01171.x

Olson VA, Owens IPF (1998) Costly sexual signals: are carotenoids rare, risky or required?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 13 (12) : 510 - 514. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(98)01484-0

Arnold KE, Owens IPF (1998) Cooperative breeding in birds: a comparative test of the life history hypothesis. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 265 (1398) : 739 - 745. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1998.0355

Owens IPF, Hartley IR (1998) Sexual dimorphism in birds: why are there so many different forms of dimorphism?. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 265 (1394) : 397 - 407. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1998.0308

Owens IPF, Bennett PM (1997) Variation in mating system among birds: ecological basis revealed by hierarchical comparative analysis of mate desertion. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 264 (1385) : 1103 - 1110. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1997.0152

Bennett PM, Owens IPF (1997) Variation in extinction risk among birds: chance or evolutionary predisposition?. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 264 (1380) : 401 - 408. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1997.0057

(1995) Ancient ecological diversification explains life-history variation among living birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 261 (1361) : 227 - 232. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1995.0141

Widemo F, Owens IPF (1995) Measuring sexual selection. Nature, 376 (6540) : 471 - 472. doi: 10.1038/376471b0

Owens IPF, Short RV (1995) Reply from I.P.F. Owens and R.V. Short. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 10 (3) : 121 - 122. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(00)89009-6

OWENS IPF, SHORT RV (1995) HORMONES, HANDICAPS AND BRIGHT BIRDS - REPLY. TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION, 10 (3) : 121 - 122. doi: 10.1016/S0169-5347(00)89009-6

Widemo F, Owensi IPF (1995) Lek size, male mating skew and the evolution of lekking. Nature, 373 (6510) : 148 - 151. doi: 10.1038/373148a0

Owens IPF, Dixon A, Burke T, Thompson DBA (1995) Strategic paternity assurance in the sex-role reversed Eurasian dotterel (Charadrius morinellus): behavioral and genetic evidence. Behavioral Ecology, 6 (1) : 14 - 21. doi: 10.1093/beheco/6.1.14

Owens IPF, Short RV (1995) Hormonal basis of sexual dimorphism in birds: implications for new theories of sexual selection. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 10 (1) : 44 - 47. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(00)88967-3

(1994) Sex differences, sex ratios and sex roles. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 258 (1352) : 93 - 99. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1994.0148

(1994) Mortality costs of parental care and sexual dimorphism in birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 257 (1348) : 1 - 8. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1994.0086

Burke T (1994) Extraordinary Sex Roles in the Eurasian Dotterel: Female Mating Arenas, Female-Female Competition, and Female Mate Choice. The American Naturalist, 144 (1) : 76 - 100. doi: 10.1086/285662

Owens IPF (1993) When kids just aren't worth it: Cuckoldry and parental care. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 8 (8) : 269 - 271. doi: 10.1016/0169-5347(93)90251-j

Hartley IR (1991) "Trojan Sparrows": Evolutionary Consequences of Dishonest Invasion for the Badges-of-Status Model. The American Naturalist, 138 (5) : 1187 - 1205. doi: 10.1086/285277

Courses taught

MSc: MSc in Taxonomy and Biodiversity, NHM and Imperial College London

Introduction

Summary

Director of Science with responsibility for collections, research and science facilities.

Personal research based on a combination of experimental, phylogenetic and molecular approaches to study the evolutionary ecology of vertebrates, particularly birds. Current areas of particular interest include:

- Large-scale patterns of biodiversity

- Ecological impacts of climate change

- Genetics of wild populations

- Speciation and diversification

- Phylogeny and ecology of extinction

Qualifications

    Degrees

  • PhD, University of Leciester, UK, 1988 - 1991
  • BSc Zoology, University of Liverpool, UK, 1985 - 1988

Employment history

    Academic

  • Professor, Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, UK, 2004 - ongoing
  • Lecturer, Reader, Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, UK, 2000 - 2004
  • Lecturer, University of Queensland, Schhol of Biological Sciences, UK, 1995 - 2000
  • NERC Research Fellow, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, UK, 1991 - 1995
  • Non-academic

    Council Member, British Trust for Ornithology, 2012 - ongoing

    Honorary Research Fellow, Zoological Society of London, 2008 - ongoing

    Trustee and Deputy Chair, National Biodiversity Network Trust, 2011 - ongoing

Projects

Other projects

NHM Initiative Pest and Crop Wild Relatives
Role: Champion
Funding: Museum development
Dates: 2015 - 2017.

Professional activities

Committees

Member, Encyclopaedia of Life, Council,

Member, British Trust for Ornithology, Trustee Board,

Member, National Biodiversity Network, Trustee Board,,

Publications

Publications

Bell SC, Owens IPF, Lord AM (2014) Quality of breeding territory mediates the influence of paternal quality on sex ratio bias in a free-living bird population. Behavioral Ecology, 25 (2) : 352 - 358. doi: 10.1093/beheco/art112

Peck HL, Pringle HE, Marshall HH, Owens IPF, Lord AM (2014) Experimental evidence of impacts of an invasive parakeet on foraging behavior of native birds. Behavioral Ecology, 25 (3) : 582 - 590. doi: 10.1093/beheco/aru025

Keith SA, Webb TJ, Böhning-Gaese K, Connolly SR, Dulvy NK, Eigenbrod F, Jones KE, Price T, Redding DW, Owens IPF, Isaac NJB (2012) What is macroecology?. Biology Letters, 8 (6) : 904 - 906. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0672

Jenkins T, Thomas GH, Hellgren O, Owens IPF (2012) MIGRATORY BEHAVIOR OF BIRDS AFFECTS THEIR COEVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIP WITH BLOOD PARASITES. Evolution, 66 (3) : 740 - 751. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01470.x

Pigot AL, Owens IPF, Orme CDL (null) Speciation and Extinction Drive the Appearance of Directional Range Size Evolution in Phylogenies and the Fossil Record. PLoS Biology, 10 (2) : e1001260 - e1001260. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001260

JENKINS TANIA, OWENS IANPF (2011) Biogeography of avian blood parasites (Leucocytozoon spp.) in two resident hosts across Europe: phylogeographic structuring or the abundance-occupancy relationship?. Molecular Ecology, 20 (18) : 3910 - 3920. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05221.x

Pigot AL, Phillimore AB, Owens IPF, Orme CDL (2010) The Shape and Temporal Dynamics of Phylogenetic Trees Arising from Geographic Speciation. Systematic Biology, 59 (6) : 660 - 673. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syq058

Pigot AL, Owens IPF, Orme CDL (null) The environmental limits to geographic range expansion in birds. Ecology Letters, 13 (6) : 705 - 715. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01462.x

Powney GD, Grenyer R, Orme CDL, Owens IPF, Meiri S (2010) Hot, dry and different: Australian lizard richness is unlike that of mammals, amphibians and birds. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 19 (3) : 386 - 396. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00521.x

Ishtiaq F, Clegg SM, Phillimore AB, Black RA, Owens IPF, Sheldon BC (null) Biogeographical patterns of blood parasite lineage diversity in avian hosts from southern Melanesian islands. Journal of Biogeography, 37 (1) : 120 - 132. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02189.x

Olson VA, Davies RG, Orme CDL, Thomas GH, Meiri S, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ, Owens IPF, Bennett PM (2009) Global biogeography and ecology of body size in birds. Ecology Letters, 12 (3) : 249 - 259. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01281.x

ISHTIAQ F, GUILLAUMOT L, CLEGG SM, PHILLIMORE AB, BLACK RA, OWENS IPF, MUNDY NI, SHELDON BC (2008) Avian haematozoan parasites and their associations with mosquitoes across Southwest Pacific Islands. Molecular Ecology, 17 (20) : 4545 - 4555. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03935.x

Clegg SM, Frentiu FD, Kikkawa J, Tavecchia G, Owens IPF (2008) 4000 YEARS OF PHENOTYPIC CHANGE IN AN ISLAND BIRD: HETEROGENEITY OF SELECTION OVER THREE MICROEVOLUTIONARY TIMESCALES. Evolution, 62 (9) : 2393 - 2410. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00437.x

PHILLIMORE AB, OWENS IPF, BLACK RA, CHITTOCK J, BURKE T, CLEGG SM (2008) Complex patterns of genetic and phenotypic divergence in an island bird and the consequences for delimiting conservation units. Molecular Ecology, 17 (12) : 2839 - 2853. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03794.x

Phillimore AB, Orme CDL, Thomas GH, Blackburn TM, Bennett PM, Gaston KJ, Owens IPF (2008) Sympatric Speciation in Birds Is Rare: Insights from Range Data and Simulations. The American Naturalist, 171 (5) : 646 - 657. doi: 10.1086/587074

Thomas GH, Orme CDL, Davies RG, Olson VA, Bennett PM, Gaston KJ, Owens IPF, Blackburn TM (2008) Regional variation in the historical components of global avian species richness. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 17 (3) : 340 - 351. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2008.00384.x

Frentiu FD, Clegg SM, Chittock J, Burke T, Blows MW, Owens IPF (2008) Pedigree-free animal models: the relatedness matrix reloaded. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275 (1635) : 639 - 647. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1032

Grenyer R, Orme CDL, Davies TJ, Jackson SF, Davies RG, Olson VA, Jones KE, Gaston KJ, Blackburn TM, Thomas GH, Bennett PM, Rasmussen PC, Ding T-S, Gittleman JL, Owens IPF (2007) Grenyer et al. reply. Nature, 450 (7171) : E20 - E20. doi: 10.1038/nature06375

Gaston KJ, Davies RG, Orme CDL, Olson VA, Thomas GH, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Lennon JJ, Bennett PM, Owens IPF, Blackburn TM (2007) Spatial turnover in the global avifauna. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274 (1618) : 1567 - 1574. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2007.0236

Davies RG, Orme CDL, Storch D, Olson VA, Thomas GH, Ross SG, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Bennett PM, Owens IPF, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ (2007) Topography, energy and the global distribution of bird species richness. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274 (1614) : 1189 - 1197. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2006.0061

Phillimore AB, Orme CDL, Davies RG, Hadfield JD, Reed WJ, Gaston KJ, Freckleton RP, Owens IPF (2007) BIOGEOGRAPHICAL BASIS OF RECENT PHENOTYPIC DIVERGENCE AMONG BIRDS: A GLOBAL STUDY OF SUBSPECIES RICHNESS. Evolution, 61 (4) : 942 - 957. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00068.x

FRENTIU FD, CLEGG SM, BLOWS MW, OWENS IPF (2007) Large body size in an island-dwelling bird: a microevolutionary analysis. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20 (2) : 639 - 649. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01242.x

HADFIELD JD, NUTALL A, OSORIO D, OWENS IPF (2007) Testing the phenotypic gambit: phenotypic, genetic and environmental correlations of colour. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20 (2) : 549 - 557. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01262.x

Storch D, Davies RG, Zajíček S, Orme CDL, Olson V, Thomas GH, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Ridgely RS, Bennett PM, Blackburn TM, Owens IPF, Gaston KJ (2006) Energy, range dynamics and global species richness patterns: reconciling mid-domain effects and environmental determinants of avian diversity. Ecology Letters, 9 (12) : 1308 - 1320. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00984.x

Grenyer R, Orme CDL, Jackson SF, Thomas GH, Davies RG, Davies TJ, Jones KE, Olson VA, Ridgely RS, Rasmussen PC, Ding T-S, Bennett PM, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ, Gittleman JL, Owens IPF (2006) Global distribution and conservation of rare and threatened vertebrates. Nature, 444 (7115) : 93 - 96. doi: 10.1038/nature05237

Goss-Custard JD, West AD, Yates MG, Caldow RWG, Stillman RA, Bardsley L, Castilla J, Castro M, Dierschke V, dit Durell SEALV, Eichhorn G, Ens BJ, Exo K-M, Udayangani-Fernando PU, Ferns PN, Hockey PAR, Gill JA, Johnstone I, Kalejta-Summers B, Masero JA, Moreira F, Nagarajan RV, Owens IPF, Pacheco C, Perez-Hurtado A, Rogers D, Scheiffarth G, Sitters H, Sutherland WJ, Triplet P, Worrall1 DH, Zharikov Y, Zwarts L, Pettifor RA (2006) Intake rates and the functional response in shorebirds (Charadriiformes) eating macro-invertebrates. Biological Reviews, 81 (04) : 501 - 501. doi: 10.1017/s1464793106007093

Davies RG, Orme CDL, Olson V, Thomas GH, Ross SG, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Stattersfield AJ, Bennett PM, Blackburn TM, Owens IPF, Gaston KJ (2006) Human impacts and the global distribution of extinction risk. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273 (1598) : 2127 - 2133. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3551

Phillimore AB, Freckleton RP, Orme CDL, Owens IPF (2006) Ecology Predicts Large‐Scale Patterns of Phylogenetic Diversification in Birds. The American Naturalist, 168 (2) : 220 - 229. doi: 10.1086/505763

Orme CDL, Davies RG, Olson VA, Thomas GH, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Ridgely RS, Stattersfield AJ, Bennett PM, Owens IPF, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ (null) Global Patterns of Geographic Range Size in Birds. PLoS Biology, 4 (7) : e208 - e208. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0040208

Owens IPF (2006) Where is behavioural ecology going?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 21 (7) : 356 - 361. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2006.03.014

Hadfield JD, Burgess MD, Lord A, Phillimore AB, Clegg SM, Owens IPF (2006) Direct versus indirect sexual selection: genetic basis of colour, size and recruitment in a wild bird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273 (1592) : 1347 - 1353. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3459

Phillimore AB, Owens IPF (2006) Are subspecies useful in evolutionary and conservation biology?. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273 (1590) : 1049 - 1053. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3425

OLSON VA, OWENS IPF (null) Interspecific variation in the use of carotenoid-based coloration in birds: diet, life history and phylogeny. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 18 (6) : 1534 - 1546. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2005.00940.x

Cardillo M, Orme CDL, Owens IPF (2005) TESTING FOR LATITUDINAL BIAS IN DIVERSIFICATION RATES: AN EXAMPLE USING NEW WORLD BIRDS. Ecology, 86 (9) : 2278 - 2287. doi: 10.1890/05-0112

Orme CDL, Davies RG, Burgess M, Eigenbrod F, Pickup N, Olson VA, Webster AJ, Ding T-S, Rasmussen PC, Ridgely RS, Stattersfield AJ, Bennett PM, Blackburn TM, Gaston KJ, Owens IPF (2005) Global hotspots of species richness are not congruent with endemism or threat. Nature, 436 (7053) : 1016 - 1019. doi: 10.1038/nature03850

Arnold KE, Owens IPF, Goldizen AW (2005) Division of labour within cooperatively breeding groups. Behaviour, 142 (11-12) : 1577 - 1590. doi: 10.1163/156853905774831927

Bennett PM, Owens IPF, Nussey D, Garnett ST, Crowley GM (2005) Mechanisms of extinction in birds: phylogeny, ecology and threats. PHYLOGENY AND CONSERVATION 8 : 317 - 336.

Gleeson DJ, Blows MW, Owens IPF (2005) Genetic covariance between indices of body condition and immunocompetence in a passerine bird. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 5 (1) : doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-5-61

Fisher DO, Owens IPF (2004) The comparative method in conservation biology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 19 (7) : 391 - 398. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2004.05.004

Stuart-Fox DM, Moussalli A, Johnston GR, Owens IPF (2004) EVOLUTION OF COLOR VARIATION IN DRAGON LIZARDS: QUANTITATIVE TESTS OF THE ROLE OF CRYPSIS AND LOCAL ADAPTATION. Evolution, 58 (7) : 1549 - 1559. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2004.tb01735.x

Robinson-Wolrath SI, Owens IPF (2003) Large size in an island-dwelling bird: intraspecific competition and the Dominance Hypothesis. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 16 (6) : 1106 - 1114. doi: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00615.x

Fisher DO, Blomberg SP, Owens IPF (2003) Extrinsic versus intrinsic factors in the decline and extinction of Australian marsupials. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 270 (1526) : 1801 - 1808. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2447

Frentiu FD, Lange CL, Burke T, Owens IPF (2003) Isolation of microsatellite loci in the Capricorn silvereye,Zosterops lateralis chlorocephalus(Aves: Zosteropidae). Molecular Ecology Notes, 3 (3) : 462 - 464. doi: 10.1046/j.1471-8286.2003.00484.x

Scott SN, Clegg SM, Blomberg SP, Kikkawa J, Owens IPF (2003) MORPHOLOGICAL SHIFTS IN ISLAND‐DWELLING BIRDS: THE ROLES OF GENERALIST FORAGING AND NICHE EXPANSION. Evolution, 57 (9) : 2147 - 2156. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2003.tb00392.x

Stuart-Fox DM, Moussalli A, Marshall NJ, Owens IPF (2003) Conspicuous males suffer higher predation risk: visual modelling and experimental evidence from lizards. Animal Behaviour, 66 (3) : 541 - 550. doi: 10.1006/anbe.2003.2235

Stuart-Fox D, Owens IPF (2003) Species richness in agamid lizards: chance, body size, sexual selection or ecology?. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 16 (4) : 659 - 669. doi: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00573.x

Wilson K, Moore SL, Owens IPF (2003) Response to Comment on "Parasites as a Viability Cost of Sexual Selection in Natural Populations of Mammals". Science, 300 (5616) : 55 - 55. doi: 10.1126/science.1081430

Hausmann F, Arnold KE, Marshall NJ, Owens IPF (2003) Ultraviolet signals in birds are special. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 270 (1510) : 61 - 67. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2002.2200

Griffith SC, Owens IPF, Thuman KA (null) Extra pair paternity in birds: a review of interspecific variation and adaptive function. Molecular Ecology, 11 (11) : 2195 - 2212. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2002.01613.x

Clegg SM, Degnan SM, Moritz C, Estoup A, Kikkawa J, Owens IPF (2002) MICROEVOLUTION IN ISLAND FORMS: THE ROLES OF DRIFT AND DIRECTIONAL SELECTION IN MORPHOLOGICAL DIVERGENCE OF A PASSERINE BIRD. Evolution, 56 (10) : 2090 - 2099. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb00134.x

F. Owens IP (2002) ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION: Sex Differences in Mortality Rate. Science, 297 (5589) : 2008 - 2009. doi: 10.1126/science.1076813

Owens IPF (2002) Sex differences in mortality rate. SCIENCE, 297 (5589) : 2008 - 2009. doi: 10.1126/science.1076813

Clegg SM, Owens PF (2002) The ‘island rule’ in birds: medium body size and its ecological explanation. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 269 (1498) : 1359 - 1365. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2002.2024

McNaught MK, Owens IPF (null) Interspecific variation in plumage colour among birds: species recognition or light environment?. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 15 (4) : 505 - 514. doi: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00431.x

Arnold KE, Owens IPF (2002) Extra-pair paternity and egg dumping in birds: life history, parental care and the risk of retaliation. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 269 (1497) : 1263 - 1269. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2002.2013

Clegg SM, Degnan SM, Kikkawa J, Moritz C, Estoup A, Owens IPF (2002) Genetic consequences of sequential founder events by an island-colonizing bird. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99 (12) : 8127 - 8132. doi: 10.1073/pnas.102583399

Owens IPF (2002) Male–only care and classical polyandry in birds: phylogeny, ecology and sex differences in remating opportunities. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 357 (1419) : 283 - 293. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2001.0929

Arnold KE (2002) Fluorescent Signaling in Parrots. Science, 295 (5552) : 92 - 92. doi: 10.1126/science.295.5552.92

Fisher DO, Blomberg SP, Owens IPF (2002) CONVERGENT MATERNAL CARE STRATEGIES IN UNGULATES AND MACROPODS. Evolution, 56 (1) : 167 - 176. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb00858.x

Fisher DO, Owens IPF, Johnson CN (2001) THE ECOLOGICAL BASIS OF LIFE HISTORY VARIATION IN MARSUPIALS. Ecology, 82 (12) : 3531 - 3540. doi: 10.1890/0012-9658(2001)082[3531:tebolh]2.0.co;2

Kirk KM, Blomberg SP, Duffy DL, Heath AC, Owens IPF, Martin NG (2001) NATURAL SELECTION AND QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF LIFE-HISTORY TRAITS IN WESTERN WOMEN: A TWIN STUDY. Evolution, 55 (2) : 423 - 435. doi: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb01304.x

Harper DGC, Randall DP (2001) Mites on birds. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 16 (1) : 19 - 19. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(00)02014-0

Fisher DO, Owens IPF (2000) Female home range size and the evolution of social organization in macropod marsupials. Journal of Animal Ecology, 69 (6) : 1083 - 1098. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.2000.00450.x

Owens IPF, Bennett PM (2000) Ecological basis of extinction risk in birds: Habitat loss versus human persecution and introduced predators. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97 (22) : 12144 - 12148. doi: 10.1073/pnas.200223397

Proctor H, Owens I (2000) Mites and birds: diversity, parasitism and coevolution. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 15 (9) : 358 - 364. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(00)01924-8

Gleeson D (2000) Differences in initial and acquired resistance to Ichthyophthirius multifiliisbetween populations of rainbowfish. Journal of Fish Biology, 57 (2) : 466 - 475. doi: 10.1006/jfbi.2000.1322

Owens IPF, Bennett PM (2000) Quantifying Biodiversity: a Phenotypic Perspective. Conservation Biology, 14 (4) : 1014 - 1022. doi: 10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.98509.x

Bennett PM, Owens IPF (2000) Evolutionary Ecology of Birds: Life Histories, Mating Systems and Extinction. Oxford University Press : 278.

Widemo F, Owens IPF (1999) Size and stability of vertebrate leks. Animal Behaviour, 58 (6) : 1217 - 1221. doi: 10.1006/anbe.1999.1267

Owens I, Rowe C, Thomas A (1999) Reply from I.P.F. Owens, C. Rowe and A.L.R. Thomas. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 14 (10) : 399 - 399. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(99)01714-0

Griffith SC, Owens IPF, Burke T (1999) Environmental determination of a sexually selected trait. Nature, 400 (6742) : 358 - 360. doi: 10.1038/22536

Owens IPF, Bennett PM, Harvey PH (1999) Species richness among birds: body size, life history, sexual selection or ecology?. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 266 (1422) : 933 - 939. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0726

Royle NJ, Hartley IR, Owens IPF, Parker GA (1999) Sibling competition and the evolution of growth rates in birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 266 (1422) : 923 - 932. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0725

Owens IPF, Wilson K (1999) Immunocompetence: a neglected life history trait or conspicuous red herring?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 14 (5) : 170 - 172. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(98)01580-8

Grffith SC, Owens IPF, Burke T (1999) Female choice and annual reproductive success favour less–ornamented male house sparrows. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 266 (1421) : 765 - 770. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0703

Owens IPF, Rowe C, Thomas ALR (1999) Sexual selection, speciation and imprinting: separating the sheep from the goats. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 14 (4) : 131 - 132. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(98)01578-x

Arnold KE (1999) Cooperative breeding in birds: the role of ecology. Behavioral Ecology, 10 (5) : 465 - 471. doi: 10.1093/beheco/10.5.465

GRIFFITH SIMONC, STEWART IANRK, DAWSON DEBORAHA, OWENS IANPF, BURKE TERRY (1999) Contrasting levels of extra-pair paternity in mainland and island populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus): is there an ‘island effect’?. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 68 (1-2) : Oxford University Press (OUP) : 303 - 316. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1999.tb01171.x

Olson VA, Owens IPF (1998) Costly sexual signals: are carotenoids rare, risky or required?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 13 (12) : 510 - 514. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(98)01484-0

Arnold KE, Owens IPF (1998) Cooperative breeding in birds: a comparative test of the life history hypothesis. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 265 (1398) : 739 - 745. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1998.0355

Owens IPF, Hartley IR (1998) Sexual dimorphism in birds: why are there so many different forms of dimorphism?. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 265 (1394) : 397 - 407. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1998.0308

Owens IPF, Bennett PM (1997) Variation in mating system among birds: ecological basis revealed by hierarchical comparative analysis of mate desertion. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 264 (1385) : 1103 - 1110. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1997.0152

Bennett PM, Owens IPF (1997) Variation in extinction risk among birds: chance or evolutionary predisposition?. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 264 (1380) : 401 - 408. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1997.0057

(1995) Ancient ecological diversification explains life-history variation among living birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 261 (1361) : 227 - 232. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1995.0141

Widemo F, Owens IPF (1995) Measuring sexual selection. Nature, 376 (6540) : 471 - 472. doi: 10.1038/376471b0

Owens IPF, Short RV (1995) Reply from I.P.F. Owens and R.V. Short. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 10 (3) : 121 - 122. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(00)89009-6

OWENS IPF, SHORT RV (1995) HORMONES, HANDICAPS AND BRIGHT BIRDS - REPLY. TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION, 10 (3) : 121 - 122. doi: 10.1016/S0169-5347(00)89009-6

Widemo F, Owensi IPF (1995) Lek size, male mating skew and the evolution of lekking. Nature, 373 (6510) : 148 - 151. doi: 10.1038/373148a0

Owens IPF, Dixon A, Burke T, Thompson DBA (1995) Strategic paternity assurance in the sex-role reversed Eurasian dotterel (Charadrius morinellus): behavioral and genetic evidence. Behavioral Ecology, 6 (1) : 14 - 21. doi: 10.1093/beheco/6.1.14

Owens IPF, Short RV (1995) Hormonal basis of sexual dimorphism in birds: implications for new theories of sexual selection. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 10 (1) : 44 - 47. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(00)88967-3

(1994) Sex differences, sex ratios and sex roles. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 258 (1352) : 93 - 99. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1994.0148

(1994) Mortality costs of parental care and sexual dimorphism in birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 257 (1348) : 1 - 8. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1994.0086

Burke T (1994) Extraordinary Sex Roles in the Eurasian Dotterel: Female Mating Arenas, Female-Female Competition, and Female Mate Choice. The American Naturalist, 144 (1) : 76 - 100. doi: 10.1086/285662

Owens IPF (1993) When kids just aren't worth it: Cuckoldry and parental care. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 8 (8) : 269 - 271. doi: 10.1016/0169-5347(93)90251-j

Hartley IR (1991) "Trojan Sparrows": Evolutionary Consequences of Dishonest Invasion for the Badges-of-Status Model. The American Naturalist, 138 (5) : 1187 - 1205. doi: 10.1086/285277

Teaching and students

Courses taught

MSc: MSc in Taxonomy and Biodiversity, NHM and Imperial College London