Javier delBarco-Trillo
Assistant Professor of Evolutionary Physiology
Office
FHS Felmley Hall Of Science 121
Office Phone
Email
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Selected Research
Biography
Generally interested in behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology, with an emphasis on sperm competition, urban ecology, mammalian reproductive physiology, and olfactory communication. Although I have mostly worked with many species of rodents, I have also studied primates, meerkats, birds, amphibians, and tardigrades.
Current Courses
BSC 499.013 Independent Research For The Master's Thesis
BSC 204.005 Biological Investigations
BSC 499.013 Independent Research For The Master's Thesis
BSC 296.001 Mammalian Biology
BSC 599.013 Research In The Biological Sciences
Teaching Interests & Areas
Mammalian Biology, Animal Behavior, Comparative Animal Physiology, Ecology Field Trips
Research Interests & Areas
Mammalian reproduction; sperm physiology; sexual selection; olfactory communication; aggressive and mating behaviors; urban ecology and evolution in both invertebrates and vertebrates.
Post-Doc
Duke University, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology
Durham, NC
Post-Doc
Cornell University, Department of Psychology
Ithaca, NY
PhD Biology (Vertebrate Zoology)
University of Memphis
BS Biology (Biology of Organisms and Systems)
University of Barcelona, Spain
Amazing Teacher
Liverpool Students' Union Amazing Teaching Awards
2016
University of Memphis Society, Inc. Doctoral Fellowship (awarded to the best PhD student in the university)
University of Memphis Society, Inc.
2005
Annual Research Forum, first place for poster presentation
University of Memphis
2004
Book, Chapter
Communication by chemical signals: Physiological mechanisms, ontogeny and learning, function, evolution and cognition
Michael H. Ferkin, Javier delBarco-Trillo, A. Petrulis.
(2017), 285-327, 10.1016/B978-0-12-803592-4.00010-9, Hormones, Brain, and Behavior, 3rd ed, Elsevier
Sex differences
Michael H. Ferkin, Javier delBarco-Trillo.
(2010), 543-545, Encyclopedia of Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare, CABI
Communication by chemical signals: Behavior, social recognition, hormones and the role of the vomeronasal and olfactory systems
Robert E. Johnston, Javier delBarco-Trillo.
(2009), 395-440, 10.1016/B978-008088783-8.00011-5, Hormones, Brain and Behavior, 2nd ed, Elsevier
Journal Article
Not all cities are the same: variation in animal phenotypes across cities within urban ecology studies
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Breanna J. Putman.
Urban Ecosystems, 26 (6), 1725-1737, (2023), 10.1007/s11252-023-01419-8
Morphological stability of rural populations supports their use as controls in urban ecology studies
Tania Regacho, Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Urban Ecosystems, 25, 1611-1618, (2022), 10.1007/s11252-022-01253-4
Changes in the home range sizes of terrestrial vertebrates in response to urban disturbance: a meta-analysis
Kate O’Donnell, Javier del Barco-Trillo.
Journal of Urban Ecology, 6 (1), (2020), 10.1093/jue/juaa014
Importance of taxonomic group, life stage and circumstance of rescue upon wildlife rehabilitation in Ontario, Canada
Gillian Kelly, Javier del Barco-Trillo.
Journal for Nature Conservation, 57, 125897, (2020), 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125897
Tardigrade abundance in relation to urbanization and highly anthropogenic substrates
Timothy McCarthy, Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Journal of Urban Ecology, 6, juaa008, (2020), 10.1093/jue/juaa008
P-mail: the information highway of nocturnal, but not diurnal nor cathemeral, strepsirrhines
Christine Drea, T. Goodwin, Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Folia Primatologica, 90, 422-438, (2019), 10.1159/000495076
Supplementary feeding can attract red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) to optimal environments
Anna Starkey, Javier del Barco-Trillo.
Mammalian Biology, 94, 134-139, (2019), 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.05.004
Tardigrades in the city: A review of diversity patterns in response to urbanization
Javier del Barco-Trillo.
Ecological Research, 34 (6), 872-878, (2019), 10.1111/1440-1703.12055
The effect of management practices on bumblebee densities in hedgerow and grassland habitats
Fiach Byrne, Javier del Barco-Trillo.
Basic and Applied Ecology, 35, 28-33, (2019), 10.1016/j.baae.2018.11.004
Is male reproductive senescence minimised in Mus species with high levels of sperm competition?
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Maximiliano Tourmente, Maria Varea-Sánchez, E.R.S. Roldan.
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 123, 463-470, (2018), 10.1093/biolinnean/blx146
Shyer and larger bird species show more reduced fear of humans when living in urban environments
Javier del Barco-Trillo.
Biology Letters, 14 (4), 20170730, (2018), 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0730
A cost for high levels of sperm competition in rodents: increased sperm DNA fragmentation
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Olga García-Álvarez, Ana Josefa Soler, Maximiliano Tourmente, José Julián Garde, Eduardo R. Roldan.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 283 (1826), 20152708, (2016), 10.1098/rspb.2015.2708
Beyond aggression: Androgen-receptor blockade modulates social interaction in wild meerkats
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Lydia K. Greene, Ines Braga Goncalves, Miriam Fenkes, Jillian H. Wisse, Julian A. Drewe, Marta B. Manser, Tim Clutton-Brock, Christine M. Drea.
Hormones and Behavior, 78, 95-106, (2016), 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.11.001
Differences in the fatty-acid composition of rodent spermatozoa are associated to levels of sperm competition
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Rafael Mateo, Eduardo R. Roldan.
Biology Open, 4 (4), 466-473, (2015), 10.1242/bio.201411288
No evidence of trade-offs in the evolution of sperm numbers and sperm size in mammals
Maximiliano Tourmente, Javier delBarco-Trillo, E.R.S. Roldan.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 28, 1816-1827, (2015), 10.1111/jeb.12698
Effects of metabolic rate and sperm competition on the fatty-acid composition of mammalian sperm
Javier delBarco-Trillo, E.R.S. Roldan.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 27, 55-62, (2014), 10.1111/jeb.12275
Socioecological and phylogenetic patterns in the chemical signals of strepsirrhine primates
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Christine M. Drea.
Animal Behaviour, 97, 249-253, (2014), 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.07.009
The behavior of female meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, during postpartum estrus and the responses of males to them
Michael H. Ferkin, Javier del Barco-Trillo.
Mammalian Biology, 79 (2), 81-89, (2014), 10.1016/j.mambio.2013.06.003
Chemical Differences Between Voided and Bladder Urine in the Aye‐Aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis): Implications for Olfactory Communication Studies
Javier delBarco-Trillo, I.H. Harelimana, T. E. Goodwin, Christine M. Drea.
American Journal of Primatology, 75 (7), 695-702, (2013), 10.1002/ajp.22083
Interactions with heterospecific males do not affect how female Mesocricetus hamsters respond to conspecific males
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Robert E. Johnston.
Animal Behaviour, 85, 151-155, (2013), 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.10.019
Metabolic Rate Limits the Effect of Sperm Competition on Mammalian Spermatogenesis
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Maximiliano Tourmente, Eduardo R. Roldan.
PLoS ONE, 8 (9), e76510, (2013), 10.1371/journal.pone.0076510
The “secret” in secretions: methodological considerations in deciphering primate olfactory communication
CHRISTINE M. DREA, MARYLÈNE BOULET, Javier del Barco-Trillo, LYDIA K. GREENE, CAITLIN R. SACHA, THOMAS E. GOODWIN, GEORGE R. DUBAY.
American Journal of Primatology, 75 (7), 621-642, (2013), 10.1002/ajp.22143
A comparison of human chorionic gonadotropin and luteinizing hormone releasing hormone on the induction of spermiation and amplexus in the American toad (Anaxyrus americanus)
Andrew J Kouba, Javier del Barco-Trillo, Carrie K Vance, Callie Milam, Meghan Carr.
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 10 (1), 59, (2012), 10.1186/1477-7827-10-59
Asymmetric learning to avoid heterospecific males in Mesocricetus hamsters
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Robert E. Johnston.
Zoology, 115 (4), 270-274, (2012), 10.1016/j.zool.2012.01.002
Eulemur, me lemur: the evolution of scent-signal complexity in a primate clade
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Caitlin R. Sacha, George R. Dubay, Christine M. Drea.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 367 (1597), 1909-1922, (2012), 10.1098/rstb.2011.0225
Re-feeding food-deprived male meadow voles affects the sperm allocation of their rival males
A. A. Vaughn, Javier delBarco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Ethology, 118, 1133-1139, (2012), 10.1111/eth.12016
Adjustment of sperm allocation under high risk of sperm competition across taxa: a meta-analysis
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 24, 1706-1714, (2011), 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02293.x
Adult female hamsters require long and sustained exposures to heterospecific males to avoid interspecific mating
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Robert E. Johnston.
Evolutionary Ecology, 25, 391-401, (2011), 10.1007/s10682-010-9429-7
Avoidance of interspecific mating in female Syrian hamsters is stronger toward familiar than toward unfamiliar heterospecific males
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Robert E. Johnston.
Learning & Behavior, 39, 239-244, (2011), 10.3758/s13420-011-0024-8
Effect of losing a fight on later agonistic behavior toward unfamiliar conspecifics in male Syrian hamsters
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Robert E. Johnston.
Current Zoology, 57, 449-452, (2011), 10.1093/czoolo/57.4.449
Night and day: the comparative study of strepsirrhine primates reveals socioecological and phylogenetic patterns in olfactory signals
Javier delBarco-Trillo, B. A. Burkert, T. E. Goodwin, Christine M. Drea.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 24, 82-98, (2011), 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02145.x
Syrian hamster males below an age threshold do not elicit aggression from unfamiliar adult males
Javier delBarco-Trillo, M. E. McPhee, Robert E. Johnston.
Aggressive Behavior, 37, 91-97, (2011), 10.1002/ab.20368
The duration of sociosexual behaviors in male meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, varies before, during, and after copulation
A. A. Vaughn, D. A. Ferkin, Javier delBarco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Current Zoology, 57, 43-49, (2011), 10.1093/czoolo/57.1.43
Adult female hamsters avoid interspecific mating after exposure to heterospecific males
Javier delBarco-Trillo, M. E. McPhee, Robert E. Johnston.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 64, 1247-1253, (2010), 10.1007/s00265-010-0939-7
Fluoxetine does not prevent interspecific mating between two hamster species
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Robert E. Johnston.
Physiology & Behavior, 99, 684-686, (2010), 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.02.003
Self-grooming by male meadow voles differs across copulation but is not affected by the risk and intensity of sperm competition
A. A. Vaughn, Javier delBarco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Behaviour, 147, 259-274, (2010), 10.1163/000579509X12523920754410
Can captivity lead to inter-species mating in two Mesocricetus hamster species?
Javier delBarco-Trillo, K. Gulewicz, A. Segal, M. E. McPhee, Robert E. Johnston.
Journal of Zoology, 278, 308-312, (2009), 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00577.x
Male hamsters discriminate estrous state from vaginal secretions and individuals from flank marks
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Alex B. LaVenture, Robert E. Johnston.
Behavioural Processes, 82 (1), 18-24, (2009), 10.1016/j.beproc.2009.03.003
Medial amygdala involvement in discrimination of same-species and closely-related-species male stimuli in estrous female Mesocricetus hamsters
Javier delBarco-Trillo, K. Gulewicz, Robert E. Johnston.
Behavioral Neuroscience, 123, 758-763, (2009), 10.1037/a0016439
Nonagonistic familiarity decreases aggression in male Turkish hamsters, Mesocricetus brandti
Javier del Barco-Trillo, M. Elsbeth McPhee, Robert E. Johnston.
Animal Behaviour, 77 (2), 389-393, (2009), 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.10.012
Meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, have the capacity to recall the “what”, “where”, and “when” of a single past event
Michael H. Ferkin, Amy Combs, Javier del Barco-Trillo, Andrew A. Pierce, Stan Franklin.
Animal Cognition, 11 (1), 147-159, (2008), 10.1007/s10071-007-0101-8
Sperm investment in male meadow voles is affected by the condition of the nearby male conspecifics
Ashlee A. Vaughn, Javier del Barco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Behavioral Ecology, 19 (6), 1159-1164, (2008), 10.1093/beheco/arn092
Anogenital distance predicts female choice and male potency in prairie voles
Alexander G. Ophir, Javier del Barco-Trillo.
Physiology & Behavior, 92 (3), 533-540, (2007), 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.04.030
Female meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, experience a reduction in copulatory behavior during postpartum estrus
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Ethology, 113, 466-473, (2007), 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01354.x
Increased sperm numbers in the vas deferens in response to odors of conspecific males in the meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 61, 1759-1764, (2007), 10.1007/s00265-007-0408-0
Risk of sperm competition does not influence copulatory behavior in the promiscuous meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus)
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Journal of Ethology, 25 (2), 139-145, (2007), 10.1007/s10164-006-0008-x
Female meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, cause their mates to ejaculate outside their reproductive tract
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Behaviour, 143, 1425-1437, (2006), 10.1163/156853906779367017
Male meadow voles respond differently to risk and intensity of sperm competition
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Behavioral Ecology, 17 (4), 581-585, (2006), 10.1093/beheco/ark001
Similarities between female meadow voles mating during post-partum oestrus and raising two concurrent litters and females raising only one litter
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Reproduction, Fertility and Development, 18, 751-756, (2006), 10.1071/RD06004
Meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, can distinguish more over-marks from fewer over-marks
Michael H. Ferkin, Andrew A. Pierce, Robert O. Sealand, Javier del Barco-Trillo.
Animal Cognition, 8 (3), 182-189, (2005), 10.1007/s10071-004-0244-9
Two modes of input processing in relation to risk of sperm competition in mammals
Javier delBarco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Acta Zoologica Sinica, 51, 1122-1129, (2005)
Male mammals respond to a risk of sperm competition conveyed by odours of conspecific males
Javier del Barco-Trillo, Michael H. Ferkin.
Nature, 431 (7007), 446-449, (2004), 10.1038/nature02845
Presentations
Evolutionary and ecological sperm physiology in mammals: unexplored questions and opportunities
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
104th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, West Lafayette, IN, June 30, 2025
Is mammalian diversity within US cities related to the diversity of their surrounding landscapes?
Sydney Romps, Javier delBarco-Trillo.
104th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, West Lafayette, IN, June, 2025
Odors in the city: Chemical communication in urban environments
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
16th Meeting on Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, Frankfurt, Germany, July 24, 2024
Rodent phenotypes in the Anthropocene: integrating plastic traits across cities
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
103rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, Boulder, CO, June 11, 2024
Sperm competition in mammals: sperm production, allocation and evolution
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (Illinois State University, School of Biological Sciences), Normal, IL, January, 2023
Urban ecology: towards a multidisciplinary, multi-species, multi-city approach
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University at Buffalo, Department of Environment and Sustainability), Buffalo, NY, January, 2022
Mammalian olfactory communication and learned assortative mating
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Texas at El Paso, Department of Biological Sciences), El Paso, TX, May, 2021
Sperm competition in mammals: sperm production, allocation and evolution
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Department of Biology), Lafayette, LA, April, 2020
Sperm competition in mammals: sperm production, allocation and evolution
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Biological Sciences), Baltimore, MD, April, 2020
Sperm competition in mammals: sperm production, allocation and evolution
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, Department of Biology), La Crosse, WI, March, 2020
Hamsters can learn during adulthood not to mate with heterospecific males
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University College Cork, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience), Cork, Ireland, March, 2019
An integrative study of sperm competition
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Aberdeen, School of Biological Sciences), Aberdeen, UK, March, 2019
An integrative study of sperm competition
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Lincoln, School of Life Sciences), Lincoln, UK, March, 2019
An integrative study of sperm competition
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Plymouth, School of Biological and Marine Sciences), Plymouth, UK, March, 2019
Mammalian evolutionary ecology: from sperm competition to urban evolution
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Waterloo, Department of Biology), Waterloo, Canada, March, 2019
Tardigrades in the city: diversity patterns and colonisation of alternative habitats
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Ecology and Evolution of Urban Areas, London, UK, February, 2019
Integrative urban evolution: genomic and phenotypic changes in wild rodents
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie), Paris, France, March, 2018
Phylogenetic and socioecological patterns in the chemical signals of prosimians
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology), Leipzig, Germany, March, 2018
New research venues in urban eco-physiology
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Glasgow, Research Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine), Glasgow, UK, March, 2018
Sperm competition in mammals: from changes in the spermatozoa to male responses
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Oxford, Department of Zoology), Oxford, UK, March, 2018
Sperm competition in mammals: sperm production, sperm allocation and sperm evolution
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology), Vienna, Austria, March, 2017
A cost for high levels of sperm competition in rodents: increased sperm DNA fragmentation
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
16th International Behavioral Ecology Congress, Exeter, UK, June, 2016
Increased sperm DNA fragmentation: a cost of high levels of sperm competition
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
22nd International Congress of Zoology, Okinawa, Japan, June, 2016
From sperm competition to urban ecology
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Invited talk (University College Cork, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences), Cork, Ireland, March, 2016
Mammals: From sperm competition and olfactory communication to urban ecology
Javier delBarco-Trillo.
Liverpool League of Animal Behaviour Scientists Symposium, Liverpool, UK, March, 2016