Research

Evolution

Evolutionary biologists are interested in how the characteristics, genetics, and adaptations of organisms change over time, the mechanisms and processes causing these changes, and the impact of evolutionary change on the history, survival and ecology of organisms. Topics investigated by EEMB faculty include speciation, coevolution, phylogenetics and systematics, gene expression, life history variation, behavior, macroevolution, and morphological change and adaptation.

Faculty Research

David J. Chapman, Ph.D., D.Sc. UC San Diego. Biochemistry, physiology and general biology of macroalgae and phytoplankton; biosynthesis and function of algal natural products; evolution of biochemical systems.

Scott A. Hodges, Ph.D. UC Berkeley. Plant evolutionary biology; molecular approaches to population biology, ecological genetics, and systematics.

Susan Mazer, Ph.D. UC Davis. Quantitative genetics of plant life-history characters and ecological significance of life-history variation; molecular applications in evolutionary ecology; evolutionary ecology of seeds and reproductive characters in plants; tropical rain forest ecology; comparative biology.

Todd Oakley, Ph.D. Duke University. Macroevolution; phylogenetics; molecular systematics; evolution of development; molecular evolution; evolution of eyes and vision - especially in the marine environment.

Stephen Proulx, Ph.D. University of Utah.
Gene network evolution; evolution of gene regulation; evolution in varying environments; canalization and robustness; sexual selection; sex allocation; niche evolution.

James Reichman, Ph.D. Northern Arizona University. Behavioral ecology; plant-animal interactions; ecology of fossorial mammals.

William R. Rice, Ph.D. Oregon State University Genetic basis of evolution; speciation, adaptive significance of sexual recombination, intersexual antagonistic coevolution, Interlocus Contest Evolution (ICE), sex chromosomes.

Steve I. Rothstein, Ph.D. Yale University. Behavioral ecology; evolution; vertebrate biology; ornithology.

Samuel S. Sweet, Ph.D. UC Berkeley. Vertebrate systematics and evolutionary morphology; herpetology.

Robert Warner, Ph.D. Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Evolutionary ecology, population and conservation biology; ecology and behavior of reef fishes.