Jen Perry

Evolutionary biologist

I study evolution and behaviour in insects. I’m interested in figuring out answers to questions like: why do males and females evolve different behaviour and morphology? How does the battle of the sexes play out over evolutionary time? How do conflicts of interest get resolved between different individuals – males and females, parents and offspring, or rival siblings? Studying entomology as an undergraduate at the University of Alberta got me hooked on insects, which lead me to a PhD at the University of Toronto. Now at the University of Oxford I use several insects – fruit flies, pond skaters and ladybirds – to study why animals display the intricate and intriguing behaviours that they do.