Research Proposal - Ruby Palin

Hello! This document contains my initial research proposal entitled: "Using flight initiation experiments to investigate whether predation risk is a contributing factor to seasonal polyphenism in Hetaerina titia wing colouration."
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Ruby Palin
Student, Durham University

Writing a research proposal can seem a daunting task initially. I'd never had to write one before now! But I soon realised that the trick to writing a research proposal is to be as clear and concise as possible so that the reader knows exactly what you are trying to explain. I found that I could write with more coherency once I fully understood the concepts related to my proposal. This involved doing a lot of additional reading of primary literature and thoroughly digesting my project supervisor's publications.

If you are reading this before starting your own proposal...good luck! You can do this!

Go to the profile of Ruby Palin
Ruby Palin
Student, Durham University

My name is Ruby Palin. I am currently a first-year undergraduate student at Durham University. I study BSc Biological Sciences. This is my favourite quote from a biologist...

“The known is finite, the unknown is infinite; intellectually we stand on an islet in the midst of an illimitable ocean of inexplicability…our business in every generation is to reclaim a little more land” –Thomas Henry Huxley, Evolutionary biologist.

My research project will be investigating the evolutionary causes of seasonal polyphenism is Smoky Rubyspot damselflies in Costa Rica. In a nutshell, the wings of the damselflies are clear at one point in the breeding season and black later in the season - organisms with black wings are less likely to be the subject of aggressive attacks from other species because they look very different to their closely related congeners. So, if its useful to have black wings why don't the Smoky Rubyspot damselflies have black wings at every point in the season? This is part of the big picture that my project will be focussing on!

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