Leonard A. Freed
Assistant Professor
Department of Zoology
Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1981
Zoology Website
lfreed@hawaii.edu
Leonard Freed  

Research Interests

My research interests range broadly in evolutionary and behavioral ecology. Special interests include life history theory, mating system theory, and optimal foraging theory. I emphasize experimental approaches to the study of adaptation, particularly with species that display geographical variation in the characteristics of interest. Current research uses birds as study systems, but taxonomic interests include most vertebrates and insects. Current projects include 1) the evolution of sexual dichromatism and cavity-nesting in the Hawaii Akepa, 2) the evolution of reproductive rate and permanent monogamy in tropical House Wrens in lowland central Panama, and 3) evolution of introduced birds in Hawai`i. I am closely associated with researchers in the Hawaiian Evolutionary Biology Program in attempts to use both native and introduced species in Hawai`i as model systems for understanding evolutionary processes.

 

Selected Publications
Freed, L.A. 1998. Extinction and endangerment of Hawaiian honeycreepers: a comparative approach. In Genes, Species, and Extinction (L. Landweber and A. Dobson, Eds.). Princeton University Press (in press).
Freed, L.A. (in review). The significance of old growth forests to an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper. Current Status of Hawaiian Birds, Studies in Avian Biology, Cooper Ornithological Society.
Wingfield, J.C., Hunt,K., Breuner, C., Dunlap, K., Fowler, G.S., Freed, L.A., and Lepson, J.K. 1997. Environmental stress, field endocrinology, and conservation biology. Pages 95-131 In Behavioral Approaches to Conservation in the Wild (J.R. Clemmons and R. Buchholz, eds.). University Press, Cambridge.
Lepson, J.K, and Freed, L.A. 1997. Akepa (Loxops coccineus). In The Birds of North America, No. 294 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
Freed, L.A., Smith,T.B., Carothers,J.H., and Lepson, J.K. 1996. Shrinkage is not the most likely cause of bill change in the iiwi: a rejoinder to Winker. Conservation Biology 10: 659-660.
Smith, T.B., Freed, L.A., Lepson, J.K, and Carothers, J.H. 1995. Evolutionary consequences of extinctions in populations of a Hawaiian honeycreeper. Conservation Biology 9: 107-113.
Feldman, R.A., Freed, L.A., and Cann, R.L. 1995. A PCR test for avian malaria in Hawaiian birds. Molecular Ecology 4: 663-673.
Lepson, J.K, and Freed, L.A. 1995. Variation in male plumage and behavior of the Hawaii Akepa. Auk 112: 402-414.
Freed, L.A., and Cann, R.L. 1989. Integrated conservation strategy for Hawaiian forest birds. BioScience 39: 475-476.
Freed, L.A., Conant, S.C, and Fleischer, R.C. 1987. Evolutionary ecology and radiation of Hawaiian passerine birds. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 2: 196-203.
Freed, L. A. 1981. Loss of mass in breeding wrens: stress or adaptation? Ecology 62:1179-1186.
Freed, L. A. Territory takeover and sexually selected infanticide in tropical house wrens. Manuscript.
Freed, L. A. Bigamy in permanently monogamous tropical house wrens. Manuscript.
Freed, L. A. Interspecific infanticide of house wrens nestlings by rufous and white wrens during a food shortage. Manuscript.