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Raoul Boughton collecting a blood sampple from a nestling Florida Scrub-Jay in the South Tract ar Archbold Biological Station, 2004.

Raoul Boughton on a holiday campout deep in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, 2003. Digital photo by Elizabeth Boughton.

Raoul Boughton, B.S.; Research Assistant V

Contact me | Link to my lab

B.S., Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia Bachelor of Applied Science degree

Research Interests

Avian biology; Endocrinology and immunology; Evolutionary ecology of parasite-bird interactions, Energetics and life history trade-offs

I have a deep-seated interest in the physiological systems that allow organisms to survive and reproduce in their ever changing environments. I focus on birds as a study organism and am particularly interested in the consequences of disease and associated immune response on reproductive effort, and on the survival of the individual to the next reproductive event. It has been hypothesized that a trade-off exists between reproduction and survival; however, the mechanisms that mediate yearly reproductive effort and subsequent survival have been elusive. It has also been hypothesized that the immune system acts as a physiological link of the trade-off between reproduction and survival. The key point to the hypothesis is that while immune system activation during reproduction will likely increase survival, it uses energetic resources that could be directed toward increasing reproductive output. The assumption is that immune defense is costly and individuals that optimally regulate this defense balance fecundity and survival, and in turn maximize fitness. Thus, the link between immune function, reproductive success and survival is an important area of study if we are to understand variations in fitness.

To help unfurl the answers I have several projects that I am currently working on using the Florida Scrub-jay (Aphlocoma coerulescens) as a model. The Florida Scrub-Jay, a cooperative breeder, makes a perfect study organism for investigating the cost of reproduction, as the species allows for a comparison of same age individuals that have bred and not bred.

For further information and background on my research interest please see the following grant proposal.

NSF-IBN-0508418. DISSERATION RESEARCH: Life History Trade-offs: An Investigation of the resource allocation hypothesis in the Florida Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). link to PDF file

Grants and Awards
2005	NSF Research Coordination Network: Integrating Ecology and Endocrinology in Avian Reproduction ($1000). Laboratory exchange visit: molecular techniques for identifying haemosporidian parasites and to conduct natural antibody immune tests on Florida Scrub-Jay plasma. ($1000
	NSF-IBN-0508418. DISSERATION RESEARCH: Life History Trade-offs: An Investigation of the resource allocation hypothesis in the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) ($11,600)
	Marcia Brady Tucker Travel Award - American Ornithologists Union ($400)
2004	Student Travel Award – NSF through the International Symposium of Avian Endocrinology committee to attend meeting 2004 ($500)
	Student Government Association Travel Award - University of Memphis - to present at International Symposium of Avian Endocrinology ($360)
	Sigma Xi - Grant in Aid of Research ($670)
	Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology - Grant-in-Aid of Research ($930)
2001	Faculty/Student Collaborative Research Travel Grant - University of Memphis, “Disease, parasites, and immune responses of birds: An overlooked public health issue” – ($4,000) Funded two week visit to Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Aus.
	Student Membership Award - Coopers Ornithological Society (2 years)
	Student Membership Award - American Ornithologists’ Union (3 years)
	Marcia Brady Tucker Travel Award “- American Ornithologists Union ($400)

Professional Organization.

American Ornithologists’ Union, Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Union, Cooper Ornithological Society, Animal Behavior Society, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Sigma Xi

Publications.

Schoech, S. J., S. J. Reynolds and R. K. Boughton. 2004. Endocrinology. pp. 128-141, In: Ecology and Evolution of Cooperative Breeding in Birds, W. D. Koenig and J. Dickenson (eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Great Britain.

Boughton, R.K., J.A Atwell. and S.J. Schoech. (In review) An introduced generalist parasite, the sticktight flea (Echidnophaga gallinacea), and its pathology in the threatened Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) Journal of Parasitology

Boughton, E.A., Quintana-Ascencio, P.F., Menges, E.S., and Boughton, R.K. Accepted Sept 2005. Association of relative elevation and fire with ecotones in an upland Florida landscape. Journal of Vegetation Science.

Presentations.

Boughton, R.K, Bowman, R, Kearns, L. and Schoech, S.J. Variation between suburban and wildland populations in nestling immune response of Florida Scrub-jays. Aphelocoma coerulescens. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and -Comparative Biology, Orlando, Florida, Jan 4-6 2006.

Boughton. R.K, S.J. Schoech, E. Bridge and R. Bowman, Asynchronous hatching in Florida Scrub-Jays is associated with lighter females and smaller egg volumes. 123rd Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union Santa Barbara, California, 23-27 Aug 2005.

Boughton, R.K, S.J. Schoech and R. Bowman. Variation in immune response of Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelacoma coerulescens) nestlings in suburban and wildland populations. Invited Speaker. Archbold Biological Station Research Symposium. Jan11-12, 2005.

Boughton, R.K., M.F. Kamp, E. Bridge, and S.J. Schoech. Testosterone, immune function, and energetics in Japanese Quail. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Diego, California, January 2005.

Atwell, J. A., R. K. Boughton, and S. J. Schoech. The effects of an ectoparasite on immune function, stress response, and survival of Florida Scrub-Jays. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Diego, California, January 2005.

Boughton, R.K. and S, J. Schoech. Mechanisms of immune suppression: Testosterone or Cortiscosterone? International Symposium of Avian Endocrinology, Scottsdale, Arizona, Aug 2004.

Boughton, R.K. Reproduction and Immune function, interactions of endocrine and immune proximate measures. Tennessee Ornithological Society Annual General Scientific Symposium. 2 Nov 2002.

Boughton, R.K. Post-wildfire effects on bird species in an Australian wet schlerophyll forest. 119th Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union, Seattle, 18-21 Aug 2001.

Boughton, R.K. Australian Birds: Identification and distribution of rarely seen species. Royal Society for the Protection of Bird, BBWF- Rutland UK, Aug 1999.

Boughton, R.K. Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) recruitment and colony re-establishment, identifying your greatest risks and monitoring your management decisions. Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Union Annual Scientific Meeting. Sydney. May 1999.

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