World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Sigal Balshine

Sigal Balshine

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
48
Citations
9125
World Ranking
4216
National Ranking
286

Overview

Sigal Balshine is affiliated with McMaster University in Canada and has contributed extensively to research in environmental science and agricultural and biological sciences. Their work spans multiple subfields, including ecology, evolution, behavior and systematics, nature and landscape conservation, global and planetary change, and social psychology.

Balshine's main research topics include animal behavior and reproduction, fish ecology and management studies, marine and fisheries research, marine animal studies overview, primate behavior and ecology, amphibian and reptile biology, and physiological and biochemical adaptations.

The scientist has published frequently in several academic venues, with notable recurring publications in Animal Behaviour, Hormones and Behavior, Behavioural Processes, Animal Cognition, and The Science of The Total Environment.

Among recent papers authored or coauthored by Balshine are:

  • "Understanding fish cognition: a review and appraisal of current practices," 2021, Animal Cognition
  • "Thermal tolerance depends on season, age and body condition in imperilled redside dace Clinostomus elongatus," 2020, Conservation Physiology
  • "Low-amplitude noise elicits the Lombard effect in plainfin midshipman mating vocalizations in the wild," 2021, Animal Behaviour
  • "Municipal wastewater as an ecological trap: Effects on fish communities across seasons," 2020, The Science of The Total Environment
  • "A comparison of passive and active gear in fish community assessments in summer versus winter," 2021, Fisheries Research

Frequent collaborators in Balshine's research include Brett M. Culbert, Matthew G. Salena, Francis Juanes, Hossein Mehdi, and Nicholas A. Brown.

Best Publications

  • Inclusive fitness theory and eusociality

    Patrick Abbot;Jun Abe;John Alcock;Samuel Alizon

  • Direct and indirect effects of chemical contaminants on the behaviour, ecology and evolution of wildlife

    Minna Mari Saaristo;Tomas Brodin;Sigal Balshine;Michael Grant Bertram

  • Correlates of group size in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish ( Neolamprologus pulcher )

    Sigal Balshine;Brenda Leach;Francis Neat;Hannah Reid

  • Production and appreciation of humor as sexually selected traits

    Eric R. Bressler;Rod A. Martin;Sigal Balshine

  • Female promiscuity promotes the evolution of faster sperm in cichlid fishes.

    John L. Fitzpatrick;Robert Montgomerie;Julie K. Desjardins;Kelly A. Stiver

  • The influence of humor on desirability

    Eric R. Bressler;Sigal Balshine

  • Competitive Interactions between Round Gobies and Logperch

    Sigal Balshine;Aikta Verma;Virginia Chant;Tys Theysmeyer

  • The evolution of cooperative breeding in the African cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher

    Marian Y. L Wong;Sigal Balshine

  • Dispersal patterns and status change in a co‐operatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher: evidence from microsatellite analyses and behavioural observations

    K. A. Stiver;P. Dierkes;M. Taborsky;S. Balshine

  • Global COVID-19 lockdown highlights humans as both threats and custodians of the environment.

    Amanda E. Bates;Richard B. Primack;Brandy S. Biggar;Tomas J. Bird

  • Relatedness and helping in fish: examining the theoretical predictions.

    Kelly A Stiver;Petra Dierkes;Michael Taborsky;H Lisle Gibbs

  • Sperm size of African cichlids in relation to sperm competition

    Sigal Balshine;Brenda J. Leach;Francis Neat;Noam Y. Werner

  • Demography and substrate affinity of the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in Hamilton Harbour.

    Jennifer A.M. Young;Julie R. Marentette;Caroline Gross;James I. McDonald

  • Masculinized dominant females in a cooperatively breeding species.

    Nadia Aubin-Horth;Julie K. Desjardins;Yehoda M. Martei;Sigal Balshine

  • Behaviour and physiology of fish

    Katherine A. Sloman;Rod W. Wilson;Sigal Balshine

  • Male and female cooperatively breeding fish provide support for the “Challenge Hypothesis”

    Julie K. Desjardins;Mark R. Hazelden;Glen J. Van der Kraak;Sigal Balshine

  • Patterns of parental care in vertebrates

    Sigal Balshine

  • The relative sensitivity of sperm, eggs and embryos to copper in the blue mussel (Mytilus trossulus).

    John Fitzpatrick;S. Nadella;S. Nadella;C. Bucking;C. Bucking;S. Balshine

  • Network structure is related to social conflict in a cooperatively breeding fish

    Cody J. Dey;Adam R. Reddon;Constance M. O'Connor;Sigal Balshine

  • Sex differences in rates of territory joining and inheritance in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish

    K.A. Stiver;J. Fitzpatrick;J.K. Desjardins;S. Balshine

Frequent Co-Authors

John L. Fitzpatrick
John L. Fitzpatrick Stockholm University
Chris M. Wood
Chris M. Wood University of British Columbia
Bryan D. Neff
Bryan D. Neff University of Western Ontario
Robert Montgomerie
Robert Montgomerie Queen's University
Benjamin M. Bolker
Benjamin M. Bolker McMaster University
Michael Taborsky
Michael Taborsky University of Bern
Jonathan N. Pruitt
Jonathan N. Pruitt McMaster University
Tomas Brodin
Tomas Brodin Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Susanne Shultz
Susanne Shultz University of Manchester
Bryan W. Brooks
Bryan W. Brooks Baylor University

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Pursuing a degree in Ecology and Evolution opens the door to a variety of interdisciplinary careers, many of which intersect with psychology, counseling, and human services. Related fields are increasingly accessible through online degree programs, making it easier than ever to tailor your education to your career goals.

For students interested in understanding behavioral ecology or working in roles that focus on populations, ecosystems, or conservation, child psychology masters programs online or clinical psychology master's programs online can enhance your expertise in human and animal behavior. Graduates may find careers in research, education, health agencies, or environmental advocacy.

If you're seeking career options in community outreach or counseling with an ecological perspective, consider the cheapest online master's in counseling. This credential can lead to roles in environmental health, urban planning, or policy-making.

Those who want to quickly enter the workforce may benefit from a human services bachelors degree online. This degree prepares graduates for jobs in community organizing, social services, and environmental education programs, where an understanding of human impact on the environment is valuable.

Best Scientists Citing Sigal Balshine

Trending Scientists