Behavior

Faculty in the Department of Ecology and Evolution are interested an array of evolutionary and ecological aspects of animal behavior. Active research projects include the sexual selection and mating systems in birds, animal communication and sexual dimorphism (Pruett-Jones), behavioral aspects of speciation (Price), behavioral aspects of species interactions and their consequences for marine communities (Wootton), and the effects of caterpillar foraging behavior on host-parasite dynamics (Dwyer).

Faculty: Stephen Pruett-Jones, Trevor Price, Greg Dwyer, Timothy Wootton

Ecology

Ecological research within the department spans many levels of organization, from gene networks to ecosystem ecology. In all research programs, there is a strong emphasis on rigorously testing ecological theory with empirical data. Weekly ecology reading groups and multi-lab collaborations foster interdisciplinary dynamics within the department. Active study areas include the genetics of plant-bacterial interactions (Bergelson lab), insect-virus interactions (Dwyer), kelp and fish population ecology (Pfister), tide-pool nutrient cycling (Pfister), the genetics of prairie restoration (Borevitz), evolution of ecological niches in birds (Price), extinction effects in intertidal communities (Wootton), river food web ecology (Wootton), the structure of food webs and other biological networks (Allesina), large-scale ecology, energetics, paleoecology, evolutionary ecology (Van Valen) and biological impacts of global change in coastal communities (Pfister and Wootton).

Faculty: Stefano Allesina, Joy Bergelson, Justin Borevitz, Greg Dwyer, Catherine Pfister, Trevor Price, Leigh Van Valen, Timothy Wootton

Evolution and Genetics

The department is world-famous center for evolutionary research. Historically strong in evolutionary theory, today the department also prides itself in using new technologies to answer fundamental questions in genetic variation and evolution. The evolution of genetic variation, gene networks, development and mechanisms of speciation are some of the main focuses of current faculty research. A number of model organisms, including Drosophila, Arabidopsis, yeast and C. elegans are being studied, as well as a increasing number of non-model organisms, all within a framework of linking short-term microevolutionary processes with long-term evolutionary patterns. For more information on specific research projects, please visit the faculty web pages listed below.

Faculty: Joy Bergelson, Justin Borevitz, Jerry Coyne, Greg Dwyer, Richard Hudson, Martin Kreitman, Wen-Hsuing Li, Manyuan Long, Thomas Nagylaki, Catherine Pfister, Trevor Price, Stephen Pruett-Jones, Manfred Ruddat, Ilya Ruvinsky, Leigh Van Valen, Timothy Wootton, Chung-I Wu