Publications

Journal names link to article.

If paper is not Gold Open Access then 'preprint' links to ORE at Exeter.

2023

Higginson AD Identifying reliable fitness proxies for growing animals responding to anthropogenic changes. (not peer reviewed) Main Text Appendices Matlab function

2022

Ito K, Higginson AD, Ruxton GD, Papastamatiou YP (2022) Incorporating thermodynamics in predator–prey games predicts the diel foraging patterns of poikilothermic predators. J Anim Ecology 91:527-539

Barreaux AMG, Higginson AD, Bonsall MB, English S (2022) Incorporating effects of age on energy dynamics predicts nonlinear maternal allocation patterns in iteroparous animals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 289: 20211884

2021

Kennedy P, Sumner S, Botha P, Welton NJ, Higginson AD, Radford AR, (2021) Diminishing returns drive altruists to help extended family. Nature Ecology & Evolution. 5: 468–479.

2018

Kennedy P, Higginson AD, Radford AR, Sumner S (2018) Altruism in a volatile world. Nature 555: 359–362.

Higginson AD, Fawcett TW, McNamara JM, Houston AI (2018) Trust your gut: using physiological states as a source of information is almost as effective as optimal Bayesian learning. Proc R Soc Lond B 285: 20172411

2017

Higginson AD (2017) Conflict over non-partitioned resources may explain between-species differences in declines: the anthropogenic competition hypothesis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017: 71:99

Higginson AD, McNamara JM, Dall SRX (2017) Towards a behavioural ecology of obesity. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 40: e118 preprint

Rosenström T, Fawcett TW, Higginson AD, Metsä-Simola N, Houston AI, Martikainen P (2017) Adaptive and non-adaptive models of depression: A comparison using register data on antidepressant medication during divorce. PLoS One 12: e0179495

Ito K, McNamara, JM, Yamauchi A, Higginson AD (2017) The evolution of cooperation by negotiation in noisy world. J Evol Biol 30: 603-615 preprint

Halpin CG, Skelhorn J, Rowe C, Ruxton GD, Higginson AD (2017) The impact of detoxification costs and predation risk on foraging: Implications for mimicry dynamics. PLoS One 12: e0169043

2016

Higginson AD, Fawcett TW (2016) Comment on 'Are physicists afraid of mathematics?' [Equation-dense papers receive fewer citations—in physics as well as biology.] New J Physics 18: 118003 preprint appendix

Higginson AD, Munafò MR (2016) Current incentives for scientists lead to underpowered studies with erroneous conclusions. PLoS Biology 14: e2000995. New Scientist

English S, Fawcett TW, Higginson AD, Trimmer PC, Uller T (2016). Adaptive use of information during growth can explain long-term effects of early life experiences. Amer Nat 187: 620-632 preprint

McNamara JM, Higginson AD, Verhulst S (2016) The influence of the starvation-predation trade-off on the relationship between ambient temperature and body size among endotherms. J Biogeog 43: 809-819.

Higginson AD, McNamara JM, Houston AI (2016) Fatness and fitness: Exposing the logic of evolutionary explanations for obesity. Proc R Soc Lond B 283: 20152443

Higginson AD, McNamara JM (2016) An adaptive response to uncertainty can lead to weight gain during dieting attempts. Evol Med Public Health 2016: 369–380

2015

Higginson AD, Speed MP, Ruxton GD (2015) Florivory as an opportunity benefit of aposematism. Amer Nat 186: 728-741

McNamara JM, Higginson AD, Houston AI (2015) Costs of foraging predispose animals to obesity-related mortality when food is constantly abundant. PLoS One 10.1371/journal.pone.0141811

Higginson AD, Ruxton GD (2015) Foraging mode switching: the importance of prey distribution and foraging currency. Anim Behav 105: 121-137.

Wilkinson GS, Breden F, Mank JE, Ritchie MG, Higginson AD, et al (2015) The locus of sexual selection: moving sexual selection studies into the post-genomics era. J Evol Biol 28: 739-755.

Higginson AD, Houston AI (2015) The influence of the food-predation trade-off on the foraging behaviour of central-place foragers. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 69: 551-561. preprint

Trimmer PT, Higginson AD, Fawcett TW, McNamara JM, Houston AI (2015) Adaptive learning can result in a failure to profit from good conditions: implications for understanding depression. Evol Med Public Health 2015:123-135. preprint

Fawcett TW, Marshall JAR, Higginson AD (2015) The evolution of mechanisms underlying behaviour. Curr Zool 61: 221-225. preprint

Higginson AD, Fawcett TW, Houston AI (2015) Evolution of a flexible rule for foraging that copes with environmental variation. Curr Zool 61: 303-312. preprint

2014

Higginson AD, McNamara JM, Houston AI (2014) The starvation-predation trade-off shapes the strategic use of protein for energy during fasting. J Theoret Biol 359: 208-219.

Fawcett TW, Fallenstein B, Higginson AD, Houston AI, Mallpress DEW, Trimmer PC, McNamara JM (2014) The evolution of decision rules in complex environments. Trends Cogn Sci 18: 153-161.

2012

Higginson AD, Fawcett TW, Trimmer PC, McNamara JM, Houston AI (2012) Generalized optimal risk allocation: foraging and anti-predator behavior in a fluctuating environment. Am Nat 180:589-603.

Fawcett TW, Higginson AD (2012) Reply to Chitnis and Smith, Fernandes, Gibbons, and Kane: Communicating theory effectively requires more explanation, not fewer equations. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109:E3058-3059

Fawcett TW, Higginson AD (2012) Heavy use of equations impedes communication among biologists. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109:11735-11739 Press Release, F1000, PNAS, Nature, Science, Scientific American, TES, Der Spiegel, International Business Times, Le Monde, ABC News, Corriere Della Sera, La Repubblica, NRC, La Razon, To Vima, RIA.

Daly D, Higginson AD, Dong C, Ruxton GD, Speed MP (2012) Density-dependent investment in costly antipredator defences: an explanation for the weak survival benefit of group living. Ecol Lett 15: 576-583.

Higginson AD, Speed MP, Ruxton GD (2012) Effects of anti-predator defence through toxin sequestration on use of alternative food microhabitats by small herbivores. J Theoret Biol 300: 368-375.

Higginson AD, de Wert L, Rowland HM, Ruxton GD, Speed MP (2012) Masquerade is associated with polyphagy and larval overwintering in the Lepidoptera. Biol J Linn Soc 106: 90-103.

Higginson AD, McNamara JM, Houston AI (2012) The starvation-predation trade-off predicts trends in body size, muscularity and adiposity between and within taxa. Am Nat 179:338-350.

Houston AI, Trimmer PC, Fawcett TW, Higginson AD, Marshall JAR, McNamara JM (2012) Is optimism optimal? Functional causes of apparent behavioural biases. BehavProc 89: 128-136.

2011

Houston AI, Higginson AD, McNamara JM (2011) Optimal foraging for multiple nutrients in an unpredictable environment. Ecol Lett 14:1101-1107

Higginson AD, Barnard CJ, Tofilski A, Medina LM, Ratnieks FL (2011) Experimental wing damage affects foraging effort and foraging distance in honeybees Apis mellifera. Psyche 419793, doi:10.1155/2011/419793

Higginson AD, Delf J, Ruxton GD, Speed MP (2011) Growth and reproductive costs of larval defence in the aposematic lepidopteran Pieris brassicae. J Anim Ecol 80:384-392.

2010

Higginson AD & Ruxton GD (2010) Adaptive changes in size and age at metamorphosis can qualitatively vary with predator type and available defensive responses. Ecology 91:2756-2768

Higginson AD, Ruxton GD, Skelhorn J (2010) The impact of flower-dwelling predators on host plant reproductive success Oecologia 164:411-421.

Higginson AD & Ruxton GD (2010) Optimal defensive coloration strategies during the growth period of prey. Evolution 64:53-67.

Broom M, Higginson AD, Ruxton GD (2010) Optimal investment across different aspects of anti-predator defences. J Theoret Biol 263: 579-586.

2009

Higginson AD & Ruxton GD (2009) Dynamic models allowing for flexibility in complex life histories accurately predict timing of metamorphosis and antipredator strategies of prey. Funct Ecol 23:1103-1113.

Higginson AD, Ruxton GD (2009) Dynamic state-dependent modelling predicts optimal usage patterns of responsive defences. Oecologia 160:399-410.

Higginson AD, Reader T (2009) Environmental heterogeneity, genotype-by-environment interactions and the reliability of sexual traits as indicators of mate quality. Proc Roy Soc Lond B 276:1153-1159.

2004-2008

Higginson AD, Gilbert FS, Reader T, Barnard CJ (2007) Experimental removal of coloured accessory bracts reduces honeybee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apis mellifera L.) visitation rates to individual inflorescences of Lavandula stoechas L. Entomol Generalis 29:165-178.

Reader T, Higginson AD, Gilbert FS, Barnard CJ (2006) The effects of predation risk from crab spiders on bee foraging behavior. BehavEcol 17:933-939

Higginson AD, Gilbert FS, Barnard CJ (2006) Morphological correlates of nectar production used by honeybees. Ecol Entomol 31:269-276

Higginson AD, Gilbert FS (2004) Paying for nectar with wingbeats: A new model of honeybee foraging. Proc Roy Soc Lond B 271: 2595-2603

Higginson AD, Barnard CJ (2004) Accumulating wing damage affects foraging decisions in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). Ecol Entomol 29:52-59