Professor Kai Lindström

Contact details

Phone.: +358-2-215 4355

Fax: +358-2-251 7013

E-mail: kai.lindstrom(at)abo.fi



Postal address:

Environmental and Marine Biology

Åbo Akademi University

Artillerigatan 6

FI-20520 ÅBO

FINLAND



Office hours: by agreement

Room 2021, Biocity, floor 2





Research Interests



As a behavioral ecologist I am generally interested in the evolutionary processes related to reproduction. My main interest currently is in the evolution of male parental care through sexual selection. In addition my lab works on questions on mating system evolution, ecological effects on sexual selection and mate choice evolution.



Research Approach



Most of my work uses fish as model systems but I have also been working on birds, for example common eiders. I also to some extent use theoretical approaches in my research. In my empirical research I mostly use experiments as they are often better suited for the kind of questions I am interested in. The majority of experiments are done in the lab but I also do some field experiment. Occasionally I regret that I don't collect more non-experimental data.



Also visit my homepage at Åbo Akademi University






List of publications



  • Lehtonen T, Wong BBM, Lindström K, Meyer A.(2011) Species divergence and seasonal success in rates of mate desertion in closely related Neotropical cichlid fishes. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 65: 607-612. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-1061-6.


  • Järvi-Laturi M, Lindström K, Kvarnemo C, Svensson O. (2011) Sand goby males trade off between defence against egg predators and sneak intrusions. Journal of Zoology 283:269-275. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00788.x


  • Klug H, Lindström K, Kokko H. (2010) Who to include in measures of sexual selection is no trivial matter. Ecology Letters, 13: 1094-1102. DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01495.x


  • Ala-Honkola O, Säilä L, Lindström K. (2010) Males prefer small females in a poeciliid fish. Ethology, 116: 736-743. DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2010.01789.x


  • Ala-Honkola O, Tuominen L, Lindström K. (2010) Inbreeding avoidance in a poeciliid fish (Heterandria formosa): depends where you look. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 64: 1403-1414. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0955-7


  • Saaristo M, Craft JA, Lehtonen KK, Lindström K. (2010) An endocrine disrupting chemical changes courtship and parental care in the sand goby. Aquatic Toxicology, 97:285-292.


  • Saaristo M, Craft JA, Lehtonen KK, Lindström K. (2010) Exposure to 17?-ethinyl estradiol impairs courtship and aggressive behaviour of male sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus). Chemosphere, 79: 541-546. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.02.019


  • Lehtonen TK, Wong BBM and Lindström K. (2010). Fluctuating mate preferences in a marine fish. Biology Letters 6:21-23. DOI:10.1098/rsbl.2009.0558


  • Saaristo M, Craft JA, Lehtonen KK, Lindström K. (2009). Sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) males exposed to an endocrine disrupting chemical fail in nest and mate competition. Hormones and Behaviour 56:315-321. DOI:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.06.010


  • Wong BBM, Järvenpää M. and Lindström K. (2009) Risk-sensitive mating decisions in a visually-compromised environment Biology Letters 5: 600-602. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0350.


  • Chin-Baarstad A, Klug K and Lindström K. (2009) Should you eat your offspring before someone else does? Effect of an egg predator on filial cannibalism in the sand goby. Animal Behaviour 78:203-208. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.04.022


  • Ala-Honkola O, Uddström A, Diaz B, and Lindström K. (2009) Strong inbreeding depression in male mating behaviour in a Poeciliid fish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22:1396-1406. DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01765.x.


  • Saaristo M, Craft JA, Lehtonen KK, Björk H and Lindström K. (2009) Disruption of sexual selection in sand gobies (Pomatoschistus minutus) by 17?-ethinyl estradiol, an endocrine disruptor. Hormones and Behaviour, 55:530-537.


  • Lehtonen TK and Lindström K (2009) Females decide whether size matters: plastic mate preferences tuned to the intensity of male-male competition. Behavioral Ecology 20:195-199.


  • Heubel KU, Lindström K, Kokko H (2008) Females increase current reproductive effort when future access to males is uncertain. Biology Letters 4:224-227


  • Järvi-Laturi M, Lehtonen TK, Pampoulie C, Lindström K (2008) Paternal care behaviour of sand gobies is determined by habitat related nest structure. Behaviour 145:39-50


  • Klug H, Lindström K (2008) Hurry-up and hatch: Selective filial cannibalism of slower developing eggs. Biology Letters 4:160-162


  • Lehtonen TK, Lindström K (2008) Density-dependent sexual selection in the monogamous fish Archocentrus nigrofasciatus. Oikos 117:867-874


  • Lehtonen TK, Lindström K (2008) Repeatability of mating preferences in the sand goby. Animal Behaviour 75:55-61


  • Lindström K, St.Mary CM (2008) Parental care and sexual selection. In: Magnhagen, C., Braithwaite, Victoria A., Forsgren, Elisabet, and Kapoor, B. G. (eds) Fish Behaviour. Science Publisher, Inc., Enfield, NH, pp 377-409


  • Wong BBM, Lehtonen TK, Lindström K (2008) Male nest choice in sand gobies, Pomatoschistus minutus. Ethology 114:575-581