
Rohini Balakrishnan, Ph.D.
Professor of Ecology
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
Born in 1963 in Mumbai, India
B.Sc. in Zoology, Bangalore University, M.Sc. in Zoology, Poona University, Ph.D. in Behaviour Genetics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay
Project
Cricket Scores: Singers and Listeners (A Tinbergian Synthesis of Cricket and Katydid Acoustic Communication)
Crickets and katydids are among the oldest terrestrial insects to have evolved acoustic communication for mate-finding. They show a bewildering diversity of signals and mate-finding strategies, across and within species and communities. My work tries to understand why signals are structured the way they are, when and where animals signal, and what drives these decisions. Equally important are decisions that receivers make based on these signals, on whom to approach or avoid, when, how, and whether to search for mates. I have examined these questions using a variety of approaches, from understanding the physics and physiology of signalling to the influence of immediate ecological context and evolutionary history. I have also examined the fitness consequences of these decisions. The empirical data have yielded many unexpected results, challenging some common assumptions in the area of animal communication. In this project, I would like to synthesise these findings on signalling and decision-making in the form of a book placed in the wider perspective of the field of animal communication. I believe that there is necessity at this point for a deeper reflection on the entrenched assumptions and approaches to the study of animal communication, how these limit our understanding, and how we may move forward. This is of particular significance when trying to understand anthropogenic impacts on animal communication. This book will also examine more broadly the historical trajectory of animal behaviour research and how anthropomorphism and human perception may have biased this trajectory.Recommended Reading
Jain, Manjari, Swati Diwakar, Jimmy Bahuleyan, Rittik Deb, and Rohini Balakrishnan (2014). “A Rain Forest Dusk Chorus: Cacophony or Sounds of Silence?” Evolutionary Ecology 28: 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-013-9658-7.
Raghuram, Hanumanthan, Rittik Deb, Diptarup Nandi, and Rohini Balakrishnan (2015). “Silent Katydid Females Are at Higher Risk of Bat Predation than Acoustically Signalling Katydid Males.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B 282: 20142319. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2319.
Deb, Rittik, Sambita Modak, and Rohini Balakrishnan (2020). “Baffling: A Condition-Dependent Alternative Mate Attraction Strategy Using Self-Made Tools in Tree Crickets.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B 287: 20202229. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2229.
Publications from the Fellow Library
Balakrishnan, Rohini (2017)
Tree crickets optimize the acoustics of baffles to exaggerate their mate-attraction signal
Balakrishnan, Rohini (2012)
Changing resonator geometry to boost sound power decouples size and song frequency in a small insect
Balakrishnan, Rohini (2012)
Balakrishnan, Rohini (Cambridge, 2008)
Predicting acoustic orientation in complex real-world environments