Assistant Professor
debrittikniser.ac.in
+91-674-2494191
Ph.D. Indian Institute of Science
M.Sc University of Calcutta
Novel selection pressures, Behaviour, Ecology, Evolution, Bio-acoustics, Gut-microbial ecology, Community dynamics, Insects
R Deb, S Modak, R Balakrishnan
Proceedings of the Royal Society B 287 (1941), 20202229, 2020
Host dietary specialization and neutral assembly shape gut bacterial communities of wild dragonflies
R Deb, A Nair, D Agashe
PeerJ 7, e8058, 2019
Diversity matters: Effects of density compensation in pollination service during rainfall shift
R Mukherjee, R Deb, SM Devy
Ecology and evolution 9 (17), 9701-9711, 2019
Tree Crickets can make Optimal Tools
N Mhatre*, R Malkin*, R Deb*, R Balakrishnan, D Robert
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY 59 (1), E157, 2019
Tree crickets optimize the acoustics of baffles to exaggerate their mate-attraction signal
Natasha Mhatre*, Robert Malkin*, Rittik Deb*, Rohini Balakrishnan, Daniel Robert
eLife, 2017
Mate choice, mate sampling and baffling behaviour in the tree cricket Oecanthus henryi
R Deb, 2017
H Raghuram, R Deb, D Nandi, R Balakrishnan
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282 (1798), 20142319, 2015
The opportunity for sampling: the ecological context of female mate choice
R Deb, R Balakrishnan
Behavioral Ecology 25 (4), 967-974, 2014
A rain forest dusk chorus: cacophony or sounds of silence?
M Jain, S Diwakar, J Bahuleyan, R Deb, R Balakrishnan
Evolutionary Ecology, 1-22, 2013
R Deb, M Bhattacharya, R Balakrishnan
Animal Behaviour 84 (1), 137-149, 2012
Evolutionary Ecology Lab (EEL@NISER)
I am an evolutionary ecologist interested in understanding the forces and mechanisms that shape an organism's evolutionary trajectory. Rapidly changing anthropogenic stressors introduce novel selection pressures, leading to biodiversity loss and the emergence of new coping mechanisms in certain species. The biotic interactions among communities, populations, and individual organisms are central to this adaptation, which drives evolutionary processes. Modern sequencing techniques have shown that these interactions extend beyond the macroscopic world, significantly influencing microbial communities as well. At the intersection of these realms, macroscopic hosts and their associated microbes interact, shaping each other's evolutionary paths.
My research aims to trace these biotic interactions at various organizational levels, from host communities to individual hosts, host-microbiome interactions, and microbial communities, to understand their impact on organismal evolution. By employing classical eco-evolutionary approaches and utilizing both wild and laboratory-reared insect populations as model systems, my lab is interested in uncovering how organisms adapt to novel and rapidly changing selection pressures.
Project 1: Impact of anthropogenic noise on biodiversity and ecosystem health - estimating the threat and potential coping mechanisms
The health and sustainability of an ecosystem depend on its biotic organisation. A diverse ecosystem is a good indicator of its health, as biodiversity provides resilience and redundancies that are key to ecosystem functioning. Hence, threats to biodiversity, in the form of human activities, can lead to the functional collapse of an ecosystem. Unfortunately, most research on biodiversity is patchy, intrusive, biased towards charismatic taxa, and often overlooks elusive and nocturnal species. Since over 50% of organisms, including diurnals, rely on acoustics for communication, passive recording can provide an efficient, non-invasive, yet less biased estimate of biodiversity. However, acoustic communication suffers from an omnipresent, pervasive threat, anthropogenic noise.
Most organisms use acoustics for conspecific recognition, competition, and mate choice. This communication has evolved under conspecific and heterospecific masking (signal overlap) giving rise to coping mechanisms like spatial, temporal, spectral (pitch) separation of signallers, and selective hearing in receivers. Anthropogenic noise, which has no particular signal structure, can act as a novel selection pressure by altering the complexity of masking, rendering the existing coping mechanisms ineffective. This can lead to a communication breakdown and large-scale loss of species diversity.
We aim to understand how acoustically communicating communities cope under such pervasive anthropogenic stress. Since insects are the most diverse yet understudied taxa, we aim to use their diversity as an indicator of ecosystem health. Among insects, Ensiferans (crickets and katydids) are one such taxa that are present across a variety of habitats and have mesmerising acoustic diversity and complexity. Unfortunately, these insects are poorly studied, with almost no data on their diversity and distribution along eastern India. We aim to study the impact of anthropogenic noise on their diversity, communication patterns, and potential coping mechanisms to ascertain the threat level in these habitats.
Ph.D.
Souradeep Dutta (2023-): I have been profoundly interested in the conflict between ‘human-based activity and wildlife’ since my early days. Since I started as a PhD student in "the evolutionary- ecology lab," I have learned about bioacoustics, a field that captivated my heart and mind as I explored the intricate symphonies of sound produced by living organisms. I am developing a project to investigate the 'impact of anthropogenic noise on acoustic communications and its evolutionary consequences' utilizing Orthopterans, particularly crickets, as a model system to combine my ever-growing and ever-present interests. I'm also interested in figuring out if this human-generated noise can influence the dynamics of the Ensiferan community of a habitat. In addition, I have a plethora of ideas related to my field of interest that I hope to pursue someday. I am a football nut and am totally in love with Lionel Messi and the Barcelona football club. However, I also enjoy doing nothing occasionally, as usual for Bengalis.
Academic Credentials: Graduation - Zoology (Hons.) from Visva-Bharati University.
Post Graduation: Master's in Zoology from Visva-Bharati University (Special paper- Ecology).
Contact:
Email: souradeep.dutta@niser.ac.in
Twitter: @SouradeepD33963
Phone: +91-7908158511
Awards: 1. Received ‘The Theodore J. Cohn Research Fund’ in 2024.
2. Received ‘Wildlife acoustics research grant’ in 2024.
Srijanee Mitra (2024-): Hello, I’m Srijanee Mitra. I joined EEL@NISER in January 2024 as a PhD student. I’m passionate about ecology, evolution, and animal behaviour. My primary focus is on the evolutionary origins of gut microbial assemblages in the Ensiferan community. I'm also interested in bioacoustics—after all, Ensiferans master that domain, too! Outside of academia, I enjoy birdwatching and singing, and I find cooking and listening to music to be great ways to relieve stress.
Email: srijanee.mitra@niser.ac.in
Dilshad K (2024-): I am a PhD scholar and UGC JRF Fellow, joined in January 2024. My research interests revolve around community dynamics, and I am currently looking into the species distribution and modelling in Orthopterans. Previously, I was involved in assessing faunal diversity in the mangrove ecosystem, a project funded by the Kerala Forest Department, at the Kerala Forest Research Institute. Through my research, I aim to contribute to the understanding of ecological patterns and biodiversity conservation.
Email: dilshad.k@niser.ac.in
Integrated M.Sc.
N DevAnand (2019-2024): My fascination with the field of evolutionary biology can be traced back to being obsessed with the serialised Malayalam science fiction children’s novel അമ്മുവിന്റെ സ്വന്തം ഡാർവിൻ (Ammu’s Own Darwin). I try to bring the same childlike curiosity to my work that I had when I was first introduced to Darwin’s voyages and theories by a time-travelling Ammu. I am, in general, interested in behavioural diversity and its evolutionary origins. For my Masters, I investigated the dynamics of an alternative reproductive tactic (ART) called baffling found in the cricket species Oecanthus henryi.
Outside of my academic pursuits, I am a cinephile trying to watch as many good movies from all over the world as I can. I occasionally sketch and write.
Email: n.devanand@niser.ac.in
Letterboxd: SherringtonHope
Instagram: @sherrington_hope
Shwetha Sasindran (2019-2024): I have always observed how human activities and the ecosystem frequently come into conflict in my hometown due to development or other longstanding customs. The abundance of these interactions has led me to be interested in human-wildlife conflicts and their precise impacts on local organisms and ecology. Furthermore, I am intrigued by the complex relationships between local cultures and practices and the environment.
I am currently working on the evolutionary impacts of anthropogenic noise on acoustic communication, with the cricket species Gryllodes sigillatus as a model organism.
My free time is occupied by music, reading, and the occasional spot of writing.
Email: shwetha.sasindran@niser.ac.in
Faheema Nazar (2020-): I joined the 'Evolutionary-Ecology Lab' in June 2023. Growing up I was captivated by the diversity and resilience of insects, sparking my curiosity to understand their role in shaping our ecosystems. The fact that even the tiniest of the creatures could create such intrinsic connections and influence the ecosystem, remains a fascination to me. In my current Masters project, I am working on the influence of gut microbiota in the host specificity of Oecanthus henryi.
In my free time, I like to read, watch movies, write occasionally, and enjoy nature.
Email: faheema.nazar@niser.ac.in
Thejas N Manojkumar (2020-): I joined Dr. Rittik’s lab with a mindset to learn how human interference affects our ecosystems and their natural functioning. Here at EEL, my project focuses on finding the auditory threshold and frequency matching in Gryllodes sigillatus, a field cricket species using both behavioural and neuro-physiological experiments. Other activities I have a passion for are volleyball and dance.
Email: thejas.nmanojkumar@niser.ac.in
Phone: +91 8984018609
ANJANA V P (2020-): I joined the ‘Evolutionary-Ecology Lab’ in August 2024. The ecosphere shared by diverse species has always fascinated me. The child in me is enthralled by the world of insects, raising numerous questions of how’s, what’s, and why’s. As a part of my master’s project, I’m trying to answer the question of What impact various diet regimes have on the model species, Gryllodes sigillatus, and how and why these effects are manifested.
I enjoy reading and writing and love to paint. I am Intrigued by both the “bioworld” and the literary world.
Email: anjana.vp@niser.ac.in
Srinivas (2021-): I am Srinivas (Srini), a 4th year Int-MSc student at the Evolutionary Ecology Lab. My research interest lies at the interface of theoretical behavioural evolution and experimental behavioural studies. I am interested in the game theoretic modelling of animal behaviour and the analysis of behavioural evolution. One can model/simulate cost-benefit scenarios in the behavioural realm using “games” and then look for optimal solutions to these problems. Simultaneously, we can experimentally find the actual behavioural strategies used by individuals in such scenarios. This two-pronged approach allows us to understand behavioural evolution from the inside out!
I try to do all of this when I am not drawing, practising badminton, running, or lifting weights.
Email: srinivas.cl@niser.ac.in
Atish Bhattacharya (2021-): I am Atish Bhattacharya, a fourth-year integrated MSc student at our Evolutionary Ecology Laboratory. I am interested in the evolution and selection of traits, and the biophysical mechanisms behind the functions of the same, especially the process of stridulation. My project deals with the role of auditory feedback in the Alternative Reproductive Tactic (ART) used by Oecanthus henryi, which avoids acoustic short-circuiting by calling from baffle holes, thus increasing its reproductive success. Presently, I am making field observations on the campus regarding the phenomenon of baffling.
My hobbies involve reading, bicycling, and photography.
Email: Atish.bhattacharya@niser.ac.in
Siddharth S (2021-): I am interested in exploring how anthropogenic factors like artificial light at night (ALAN) and noise act as selection pressures, influencing traits and behaviour in acoustically communicating organisms. My research will focus on understanding these changes and their effects on populations over time. By incorporating ecologically relevant methods, I aim to bridge the gap between lab findings and real-world applications, contributing to both scientific progress and conservation.
I'm a keen observer and enjoy spending time outdoors, trying to decode the intricate patterns and behaviours of the natural world. I watch movies or read books in my leisure time, enjoying solitude.
Email: siddharth.s@niser.ac.in
Interns (summer and other)
B303, B306, B706
Warden
