Behavior or ethology refers to the actions or reactions of an organism, usually in relation to the environment. Social behavior is behavior directed towards, or taking place between, members of the same species. Evolution is the change in the inherited characteristics, or traits of a population of organisms. Heritable traits are encoded in the genetic material of an organism (usually DNA); changes in this genetic material (mutation) and the subsequent spread of these changes in the population drives evolution.
Click on any of the links below to see detail about faculty involved in research on behavior or evolution.
Dr. Keith Berven - Amphibian population biology and evolution of life history patterns.
Dr. George Gamboa - Animal behavior, social insect behavior, evolution of social behavior, and kin recognition.
Dr. Thad Grudzien - Evolutionary process and pattern; population genetics; protein electrophoresis and DNA differentiation; biochemical systematics.
Dr. Scott Tiegs - Stream and river ecology; River restoration; Resource subsidies; Organic matter decomposition; Human impacts to riverine ecosystems; Stream-watershed interactions; Roles of species in ecosystems.
