F A C UL T Y   &   R E S E A R C H

e v o l u t i o n

Evolutionary biologists attempt to interpret biological diversity and organismal design. These ambitious goals can be met at many different levels and using diverse approaches. The diverse and integrative nature evolutionary biology is reflected in the Evolution faculty in the Department of Biology. We are a small yet highly interactive group with research interests in microevolutionary processes that link variation in traits to variation in reproductive success, the extent to which genetics, physiology and history can constrain trait evolution, and in macroevolutionary patterns.

Specific research areas include molecular evolution of vertebrate visual systems, agonistic behavior of fish, the territoriality, foraging and incubation behavior of birds, population genetics and mechanisms of speciation in fruitflies, the evolution of insect life histories and reproductive strategies, sperm-egg interactions, ancient microbes and microbial systematics, and the evolutionary ecology underlying trophic interactions and community structure.