The overall objective of my research is to understand patterns and mechanisms of long-term ecosystem dynamics under changing climatic conditions. I use “the natural experiments of the past” that are archived in geological deposits. These deposits offer a long-term holistic perspective into past environmental conditions, some of which do not exist today but may be … Continued
I study the behavior, ecology, and functional morphology of humans and nonhuman primates. Much of my work entails tropical fieldwork in tandem with mechanical, molecular, and stable isotope analyses. My overarching goal is to better understand how and why adaptive shifts occurred during primate evolution. My current project is focused on acoustic landscapes (“soundscapes”) in … Continued
I combine computational and experimental methods to investigate the co-evolution of genes, genomes, and species. In particular, what gene duplication, loss, and horizontal transfer events occurred during the evolution of a gene family? When did these events occur relative to morphological, ecological, and environmental changes during species evolution? How do changes in protein coding genes … Continued
I lead a research program focused on biological communication and the role of information in shaping inter-specific ecological interactions. A major focus of my work explores the role of olfactory cues and signals in plant-insect interactions and in the transmission of plant and animal diseases by insect vectors. This work aims to address key questions … Continued
Supported by a Packard Fellowship in the 1990s, my group established the fundamental importance of a process that harmlessly removes potentially damaging surplus light absorbed by plants and other photosynthetic organisms when they use sunlight to manufacture food. In recent years, together with my long-term collaborator William Adams, and our students, we have focused on … Continued
I study the maintenance of genetic variation within populations, and the ecological consequences of this variation. In particular, I am focusing on the maintenance of variation in immune function, and diet, in relation to parasite and prey communities.
My laboratory studies the ecological and evolutionary forces shaping plant-pathogen coevolution. Our work blends field biology with molecular genetics and molecular evolutionary studies on the host plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, and its enemies. My lab revealed evolutionarily stable stalemates manifest as ancient balanced polymorphisms for resistance and susceptibility at R genes in A. thaliana’s genome. In … Continued
I study features and evolution of organismal architecture that reconcile historical stability and transient innovations in biology. To accomplish this goal, my research group applies insights from network and dynamic system theory, evolutionary developmental biology, and evolutionary theory to a set of long-term empirical projects, such as evolution of biochemical networks that produce diet-derived animal … Continued
My group studies the ecology and behavior of highly social animals. We have two main projects. First, we are examining the self-organization of social groups during conflicts. The collective behavior of animal groups is often seen as a process in which flexible, adaptive patterns arise without central control due to local decisions and communication. When … Continued