Dakota (Cody) McCoy

Contact Information:

dakota.e.mccoy@gmail.com

Website

Education:

Harvard University: PhD in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (2021)
University of Oxford: MPhil in Environmental Policy (2015)
Yale University: BSc in Biology (2013)

Research Interests:

Right now, I research photosynthesis in animals: how corals, bivalves, and other creatures harness solar power in a symbiotic relationship with algae. I apply materials science and evolutionary theory to analyze the optics of photosynthesis and the tug-of-war over control in the symbiotic organism. Previously, I researched “super black” birds of paradise and peacock spiders, as well as the tug-of-war inherent in the evolution of pregnancy (another intimate relationship between multiple organisms). My goals are threefold: (i) understand how diverse lifeforms manipulate light and manipulate each other; (ii) inspire new materials for sustainable engineering; and (iii) preserve ecosystems under threat from climate change (ranging from coral reefs to urban forests).

Publications (links and PDFS can be found here):

Ågren, J.A., Haig.D. and McCoy, D.E. (2022). Meiosis solved the problem of gerrymandering. Journal of Genetics, in press.

McCoy, D.E.*, Shneidman, A.*, Davis, A, and Aizenberg, J. (2021). Finite-difference Time-domain (FDTD) Optical Simulations: A Primer for the Life Sciences and Bio-Inspired Engineering. Micron, 103160.

Frye, B.M., McCoy, D.E., Kotler, J., Embury, A., Burkart, J.M., Burns, M., Eyre, S., Galbusera, P., Hooper, J., Idoe, A. and Goya, A.L., in press. After short interbirth intervals, captive callitrichine monkeys have higher infant mortality. IScience, p.103724.

McCoy, D.E., Shultz, A.J., Vidoudez, C., van der Heide, E., Dall, J., Trauger, S.A., and Haig, D.A (2021). Microstructures amplify carotenoid signals in tanagers. Scientific Reports. 8582 (2021)

McCoy, D. E. and Haig, D. (2020). Embryo selection and mate choice: can ‘honest signals’ be trusted? Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 35(4), 308-318.

McCoy, D.E. and Prum, R.O. (2019). Convergent evolution of super black plumage near bright color in 15 bird families. Journal of Experimental Biology, 222(18), jeb208140.

Miller, R., Frohnwieser, A., Schiestl, M., McCoy, D. E., Gray, R. D., Taylor, A. H., and Clayton, N. S. (2019). Delayed gratification in New Caledonian crows and young children: influence of reward type and visibility. Animal cognition, 23(1), 71-85.

McCoy, D. E., Schiestl, M., Neilands, P., Hassall, R., Gray, R. D., and Taylor, A. H. (2019). New Caledonian Crows Behave Optimistically after Using Tools. Current Biology, 29(16), 2737-2742.

McCoy, D. E.*, Frye, B. M.*, Kotler, J., Burkart, J. M., Burns, M., Embury, A., ... and Goya, A. L. (2019). A comparative study of litter size and sex composition in a large dataset of callitrichine monkeys. American journal of primatology, e23038.

McCoy, D. E., McCoy, V. E., Mandsberg, N. K., Shneidman, A. V., Aizenberg, J., Prum, R. O., and Haig, D. (2019). Structurally assisted super black in colourful peacock spiders. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 286(1902), 20190589.

McCoy, D. E.*, Feo, T.*, Harvey, T. A., and Prum, R. O. (2018). Structural absorption by barbule microstructures of super black bird of paradise feathers. Nature communications, 9(1), 1.

McCoy, D.E. (2018) Evolutionary Change. In: Shackelford T., Weekes-Shackelford V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science, Pp. 1–16. Cham: Springer International Publishing. Springer, Cham.

McCoy, D.E. (2018) Game Theory as a Foundation of Evolutionary Psychology. In: Shackelford T., Weekes-Shackelford V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Pp. 1–17. Cham: Springer International Publishing Springer, Cham.

Petelle, M. R., McCoy D.E., Alejandro, V.A., and Blumstein, D.T. (2013) Development of boldness and docility in yellow-bellied marmots. Animal Behaviour 86: 1147-1154.

McCoy, D.E. (2012) Connecticut birds and climate change: Bergmann’s rule in the fourth dimension. The Northeastern Naturalist 19(2):323–334.

McCoy, D. E. and Norris, C.A. (2012) The Cranial Anatomy of the Miocene Notoungulate Hegetotherium mirabile (Notoungulata, Hegetotheriidae) with Preliminary Observations on Diet and Method of Feeding. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 53(2):355-374.