FACULTY

Peter Beerli Computational and mathematical biology; evolutionary and population genetics/genomics. Thomas F. Hansen Theoretical evolutionary biology, through mathematical modeling. David Houle   Evolutionary and population genetics. Kimberly A. Hughes Evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral genomics. Brian D. Inouye Roles of spatial and temporal variation in population and community ecology; linking theoretical and empirical approaches. Don R. Levitan   Evolutionary ecology of marine invertebrates; population biology.

Darin R Rokyta Molecular and statistical properties of adaptive evolution. Scott Steppan   Evolutionary biology and mammalian molecular and morphological systematics. Joseph Travis   Ecological and population genetics; population biology. Nora Underwood   Ecology and evolution of plant-insect interactions. Alice A. Winn   Plant population ecology and evolution. Janie L. Wulff   Roles of predators, physical disturbance, and competition in shaping sponge faunas.

Research in population biology and ecological genetics emphasizes population-level characteristics of single species and reproduction and survival rates in those populations. The work can be primarily ecological, evolutionary, or both. For example, comparisons of populations of the least killifish include ecological (how numbers are limited or regulated) and evolutionary (how genetic differences among populations are maintained) components. By seeking environmental correlates of varying survival rates among populations of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers, another researcher hopes to eventually be able to test alternative management practices.

Research in ecological genetics is more evolutionary. Examples include the study of the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in leaf shapes, mechanisms of speciation and hybridization in corals, and the role of natural selection and mutation in maintaining the genetic variation found in populations of fruit flies. Various techniques (e.g. phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences and morphological data, comparative analyses of multivariate patterns of covariation) are also being use to clarify large-scale patterns in biological diversity. These are just a few examples of the broad range of interests among this group of biologists.