Joshua B. LaPergola

BS in Biological Sciences, Rowan University, 2006

MS in Biology, Villanova University, 2012

PhD in Behavioral Biology, Cornell University, 2018

Postdoc, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 2018- 2023

Associate Research Scholar, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 2023-2025

Lecturer, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 2023- 2026

From a solitary moose to a tightly integrated eusocial honeybee colony, animals exhibit spectacular variation in phenotypes, behavioral repertoires, and social phenomena. The key to explaining this variation is the combined study of proximate ecological drivers and ultimate evolutionary factors. My research focuses broadly on how individuals and species respond to different biotic challenges through behavioral variation. To tackle this broader question, I seek to understand how ecological pressures influence (1) variation in avian mating and social systems, (2) communication and cognition in the wild, and (3) host-parasite interactions. Wild birds vary in their mating decisions, group size, and group composition and can be individually tagged and genotyped, making them ideal for field observation and manipulation.

I ground my research in intensive, place-based studies, which provide opportunities for serendipitous natural history discoveries that can spark new questions. Such intensive, focal field studies combined with opportunistic place-based work also provide enriching opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to hone their scientific understanding of the living world. I combine observational and experimental methods with next-generation genomics tools to understand social variation and the behavioral strategies for navigating social life in different avian lineages, especially in Neotropical species.

LaPergola, J.B., G.M. Leighton, and C. Riehl. 2026. Fine-scale genetic structure in cooperatively breeding Palmchats (Dulus dominicus) suggests mixed kinship in compound nests. Ibis. DOI: 10.1111/ibi.70051

Smith, M.G., J.B. LaPergola, and C. Riehl. 2024. Workload inequality increases with group size in a cooperatively breeding bird. Animal Behavior. 207:87-99. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.10.015

LaPergola, J.B., A.G. Savagian, M.G. Smith, B.L. Bennett, M. J. Strong, and C. Riehl. 2023. Referential signaling in a communally breeding bird. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 120(19): e2222008120. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2222008120

LaPergola, J.B. 2023. Life-stage and sex influence Philornis ectoparasitism in a Neotropical woodpecker Melanerpes striatus with essential male parental care. Ibis. 165(4):1235-1250. DOI: 10.1111/IBI.13221

LaPergola, J.B., C. Riehl, J.E. Martínez-Gómez, B. Roldán-Clarà, and R.L. Curry. 2022. Extra-pair paternity correlates with genetic diversity, but not breeding density, in a Neotropical passerine, the black catbird. Journal of Avian Biology. 2022: 11-12. DOI: 10.1111/jav.03034

LaPergola, J.B. and C. Riehl. 2022. Opportunity is not everything: genetic monogamy and limited brood parasitism in a colonial woodpecker. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 76, 72. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03178-6