Carlos

A. Botero, Ph. D.
Curriculum vitae

Assistant Professor (starting date: June 2015)
Department of Biology
Washington University in Saint Louis
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130-4899


Education

Phone: 919.943.7969
c.a.botero@email.wustl.edu
www.cabotero.weebly.com

Cornell University (Department of Neurobiology and Behavior) Ph. D.

2007

Universidad de los Andes, Colombia (Department of Biology) B. Sc.

1999

Fellowships, Awards, and Honors

Competitive Independent Postdoctoral Fellowships

Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow in the North Carolina State University Initiative

for Biological Complexity. Raleigh, NC.

2012 2015

Postdoctoral Fellow. The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. Duke

University, Durham NC.

2009 2011

Rubicon Fellow. The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).

University of Groningen. The Netherlands.

2008

Postdoctoral Fellow. Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM (I declined this award for
personal reasons)

2008

Other academic honors and awards

Elective member to the American Ornithologists Union

Excellence Fellow. Cornell University, Ithaca NY.

Magna cum Laude and Valedictorian for the class of 1999. Universidad de los
Andes. Bogot, Colombia.

2013
2001 2002
1999

Publications

Botero CA, FJ Weissing, J Wright, and DR Rubenstein. Evolutionary tipping points in the capacity to
adapt to environmental change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,USA. In
press.

Botero CA, Gardner B, Kirby KR, Bulbulia J, Gavin MC and R Gray. The ecology of religious beliefs.

Carlos A. Botero | Curriculum vitae

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. In press.

Botero CA, R Dor, C McCain, and RJ Safran. 2014. Environmental harshness is positively correlated
with intraspecific divergence in mammals and birds. Molecular Ecology 23: 259-268.

Seddon, N.*, C. A. Botero*, J. A. Tobias, P. O. Dunn, H. E. A. MacGregor, D. R. Rubenstein, J. A. C.

Uy, J. T. Weir, L. A. Whittingham, and R. J. Safran. 2013. Sexual selection accelerates
signal evolution during speciation in birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 280(1766):
20131085 . doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.1065 [*Equal contribution co-first authors]

Gavin MC, CA Botero, C Bowern, RK Colwell, M Dunn, RR Dunn, RD Gray, KR Kirby, J McCarter, A
Powell, T Rangel, J Stepp, M Trautwein, JL Verdolin, and G Yanega. 2013. Towards a
mechanistic understanding of linguistic diversity. Bioscience 63(7):524-535.

Botero CA and SR de Kort. 2013. Learned signals and consistency of delivery: a case against
receiver manipulation in animal communication. In: Stegmann, U. (ed) Animal
Communication Theory: Information and Influence. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK. Pp. 281-286.
Botero CA and DR Rubenstein. 2012. Fluctuating environments, sexual selection and the
evolution of flexible mate choice in birds. PLoS One 7(2): e32311.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032311
Lovette IJ, BS Arbogast, RL Curry, RM Zink, CA Botero, JP Sullivan, AL Talaba, RB Harris, DR
Rubenstein, RE Ricklefs, and E Bermingham. 2011. Phylogenetic Relationships of the
Mockingbirds and Thrashers (Aves: Mimidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.07.009
Botero CA, I. Pen, J Komdeur, and FJ Weissing. 2010. The evolution of individual variation in
communication strategies. Evolution. 64: 3123-3133.
Elias DO, CA Botero, MCB Andrade, AC Mason and MM Kasumovic. 2010. High resource valuation
fuels desperado fighting tactics in female jumping spiders. Behavioral Ecology 21(4):
868-875.
Botero, CA, N Boogert, IJ Lovette, and SL Vehrencamp. 2009. Climatic patterns predict the
elaboration of song displays in mockingbirds. Current Biology. 19:1-5.
Botero CA, RJ Rossman , LM Caro , LM Stenzler, IJ Lovette, SR de Kort, and SL Vehrencamp. 2009.
Syllable type consistency is related to age, social status and reproductive success in the
tropical mockingbird. Animal Behaviour. 77(3): 701-706.
De Kort SR, ERB Eldermire, S Valderrama , CA Botero, and SL Vehrencamp. 2009. Trill consistency is
an age-related assessment signal in banded wrens. Proc. R. Soc. B. 276: 2315-2321.
Botero CA, AE Mudge, AM Koltz , WM Hochachka, and SL Vehrencamp. 2008. How Reliable are
the Methods for Estimating Repertoire Size? Ethology. 114(12): 1227-1238.

Carlos A. Botero | Curriculum vitae

Amat E, J Olano , F Forero, and CA Botero. 2007. Notes on Philornis vulgaris (Couri, 1984) (Diptera:
Muscidae) in a nest of tropical mockingbird Mimus gilvus (Viellot, 1808) in the Colombian
Andes. Acta Zoologica Mexicana. 23(2): 205-207.
Botero CA, JM Riveros , and SL Vehrencamp. 2007. Relative threat and recognition ability in the
responses of tropical mockingbirds to song playback. Animal Behaviour. 73: 661-669.
Botero CA and Vehrencamp, SL. 2007. Responses of tropical mockingbirds to variation in within-
song and between-song versatility. The Auk. 124(1): 185-196.
Botero CA. 2002. Is the White-Flanked Antwren (Formicariidae: Myrmotherula axillaris) A Nuclear
Species In Mixed-Species Flocks? A Field Experiment. The Journal of Field
Ornithology.73(1): 74-81.
Botero CA. 2001. First specimen of the Ecuadorian Cacique (Icterinae: Cacicus sclateri) from
Colombia with notes on its nesting behavior. The Wilson Bulletin. 113(3): 327-328.
Cadena CD, M Alvarez, JL Parra, I Jimenez, CA Mejia, M Santamaria, AM Franco, CA Botero, GD
Mejia, AM Umana, A Calixto, J Aldana and GA Londoo. 2000. The birds of CIEM, Tinigua
National Park, Colombia: an overview of 13 years of ornithological research. Cotinga 13:
46-54.
Research Grants
Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Initiative for Biological Complexity
at North Carolina State University. Total award: USD $ 350,000.

2012-2017

Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. Total award:

USD $ 126,000

2009-2011

Rubicon Fellowship. Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Total

Award: USD $ 70,500

2008

National Science Foundation grant DEB-0515981: Systematics and Evolutionary

Ecology of New and Old-World Avian Sister Radiations. Senior personnel leading
the Mockingbird group (PI: I. Lovette, Collaborator: SL Vehrencamp).

2005 2008

National Institutes of Health grant R01-MH60461. Communication implications

of learning strategies (PI: SL Vehrencamp). Contributed to the design, and
writing of the grant section on mockingbirds and executed the research.

2001 2007

Sigma Xi Grants-in-aid-of-research.

2006 - 2007

Student Research Grant in Animal Behavior. Department of Neurobiology and

Behavior, Cornell University.

2006

Carlos A. Botero | Curriculum vitae

Student Research Grant. Animal Behavior Society.

Student Research Grant. Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.

2002

Sigma Xi Cornell University Chapter Grant.

2002

Ecological Research Grant. Universidad de los Andes and Proficol S.A.

1997

Teaching Experience

LECTURER

Methods in Animal Behavior, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior,

Cornell University.

First course on bioacoustics and electric signals in fish. Instituto de Investigacin

en Recursos Biolgicos Alexander von Humboldt, Colombia.

Field Techniques in Biology. Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

Animal Communication. Cornell University.

Methods in Animal Behavior. Cornell University.

Field Techniques in Biology I/II. Universidad de los Andes, Bogot.

Plant Physiology. Universidad de los Andes, Bogot.

Ecology. Universidad de los Andes, Bogot.

MENTOR FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

2006

2005 - 2006

Student Research Grant. Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Research mentor for Stuart Wells, freshman at the North Carolina School of
Science and Math (summer 2013)

Research adviser. Rina Rossman (honors thesis in Animal Science), Casey

Benton, Lisa Hang, Sara Kross, Tessa Hyo Murante, Andrew Mudge, Patricia
Jones, Margaret Kellogg, and Sarah Moreno. Cornell University.

2007

2005

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2013

2003 - 2007

Carlos A. Botero | Curriculum vitae

Research adviser. Tammy Kubinec at the State University of New York at

Cortland.

Honors thesis project adviser for Jimena Riveros and Lina Caro. Universidad de
los Andes, Bogot, Colombia.

2006

2004 - 2007

2006

Co-adviser for honors thesis project. Estibaliz Aguilar. Universidad Nacional de

Colombia, Bogot, Colombia.

Public Service & Outreach

After-school mentor for African American and Latino kids. SALSA: Seeing and Learning Science
after school. Chapel Hill, North Carolina (2011).

Career options panelist for undergraduate diversity programs at Evolution 2010 (Society for the
Study of Evolution & American Society of Naturalists) and SACNAS 2011 (Society for the
Advancement of Hispanics, Chicanos, & Native Americans in Science).

Referee Work
American Naturalist, American Midland Naturalist, Animal Behaviour, Auk, Behavioral
Ecology, Behaviour, Biology Letters, Caldasia, Condor, Current Biology, Current Zoology,
Evolution, Ethology, Herpetological Journal, Ibis, Journal of Comparative Physiology, Journal
of Field Ornithology, Journal of Ornithology, Molecular Ecology, Naturwissenschaften, PLoS
one, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, Turkish Journal of Zoology, The Wilson
Journal of Ornithology.
Panel member (x1) and Ad hoc reviewer (x3) for the National Science Foundation.

Associate Faculty Member for Faculty of 1000 Biology since 2010.

Postdoctoral representative to the Operations Committee at the National Evolutionary Synthesis

Center (2009 - 2011).

Provided professional opinion for the following articles:

Gill, V. Blueprint of the songbird genome. BBC News.

Holden, C. Brainy birds get more chicks. Science Magazine.
Conroy, M. How geeks get girls. Wired Magazine.
Gill, V. Songbirds sing cross-species duet. BBC News.
Callaway, E. Why geeks get the girls. New Scientist.

2010

2009

2009

2009

2009

Carlos A. Botero | Curriculum vitae

High School Science Fair Judge. North Carolina School of Science and
Mathematics.

2010

Podcast: Evolution in the News, Speciation in real time (February installment for
the monthly video podcast from the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center)

2010

Guest speaker for the Cayuga Birding Club, Ithaca, NY.

Press Coverage of my Work (only major outlets)

Interview on local TV for the series on Latino Leaders of the Triangle Region
(Hola North Carolina, Fox50 NC)

Interview on national TV for the Weather Channel (coverage of my paper on the

effects of climatic uncertainty on divorce and infidelity in birds)

Climate for divorce. Science News.

Mindset matters most in female spider fights. NOVA

Desperate female spiders fight by different rules. U.S. News and World Report

Male Spiders Are All Bark, Female Spiders Fight to Kill. Wired.com.

Research Highlights. Animal behaviour: Singing in the Rain. Nature 459: 487.

Climate-enhanced bird songs. Science Update Radio Interview (AAAS)

For some birds, chancy climates mean better singers. Science News 175(13): 8.

Birds Under Stress Become Better Singers. Discovery Channel.

Climate link to mockingbird songs. BBC News.

Bird song linked to survival. Financial Times.

Hard times make birds better singers. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Climate link to mockingbird songs. Herald de Paris.

Birds are better at singing in the rain and the cold. Daily Telegraph, UK.

Invited seminars

Keynote speaker. Inaugural Life discovery: Doing Science Conference. Ecological

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Carlos A. Botero | Curriculum vitae

Society of America (http://www.esa.org/ldc/)

Department of Biology. Norwegian University of Science and Technology

2012

Integrative Ecology and Evolution Section, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus

University (Denmark)

2012

Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen (The

Netherlands)

2012

Department of Biology. College of Charleston, South Carolina.

2010

International Society for Behavioral Ecology. Symposium: Why behavioral

ecologists should care about individual variation in responsiveness. Perth,
Australia.

2010

Institute for Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland.

Integrative Studies of Starlings & Mockingbirds Symposium, AOU, Philadelphia.

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

II Symposium for the Colombian Network of Evolutionary Biologists, Cali,

Colombia.

2010

2009

2009

2009

Department of Zoology, Stockholm University. Sweden.

2008

Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University. Krakow, Poland.

2008

Institute of Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences. Leiden University, NL

2008

Netherlands Ornithologists Union. Symposium on Bird song: function, learning

processes and related questions. Utrecht, NL.

2008