Overview
Our lab uses field- and lab-work to compare trait morphology and function among species to better understand how biodiversity develops, how biodiversity evolves, and why it matters.
Research Focus
Our lab has a range of systems and projects that fall under three general themes:
Evolutionary development - we ask how changes in early development affect the evolvability of traits at the macroevolutionary scale. Events in early development not only matter for an individual’s life, but also for a species’ evolutionary trajectory.
Adaptation and constraint - We ask how selection pressures shape morphological and physiological traits among species. We are particularly interested in the differential limits of adaptation among clades. Why do some clades adapt while others perish?
Sensory ecology - We ask how animal sensory systems have evolved and what functional differences exist among animals. We then examine how these functional differences affect an animal’s ability to navigate their environment, including prey capture, predator avoidance, and mate attraction.
Publications
Please see a current list of publications here.