Evolutionary Ecology

The Evolutionary Biology group seeks to understand ecological patterns like geographical and historical variation in species diversity and the evolutionary processes that have shaped them. We work on organisms including invertebrates, parasites, fish, amphibians, plants, birds, and mammals, and on a range of biological interactions among species. We examine evolutionary processes at levels from the genome to the ecological community, employing theoretical, empirical and analytical approaches. Ongoing research includes the evolution of complex life histories, ecological specialization, sexual selection, cooperative and competitive behavior, host-pathogen interactions, and phenotypic plasticity.