Research in Evolutionary Ecology
We test the predictability of phenotypic and evolutionary change.
- How accurately can we predict trait evolution, how repeatable is evolution, and how can we apply this knowledge to global challenges?
We uncover the ultimate and proximate causes of the formation of new species.
- What evolutionary forces drive which combinations of reproductive isolating mechanisms during speciation in the wild?
We disentangle the causes and consequences of adaptation.
- How do multiple selective agents drive adaptive evolution in complex suites of traits, and what are the consequences of major evolutionary innovations?
We reveal the influence of human activities on organismal phenotypes.
- How is the Anthropocene altering the traits and evolution of the taxa surviving earth's sixth mass extinction?
We investigate why especially weird traits have evolved, and how they influence(d) other aspects of an organism's ecology.
- What explains the evolution and occurrence of particularly unique, novel, and counterintuitive traits?
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Evolutionary Ecology Lab @ NC State:
How do new species form?
(testing mechanistic pathways to speciation...)
How predictable is evolution?
(testing evolutionary model predictions...)
How do human activities drive evolution?
(testing impacts of fragmentation, urbanization...)
What ecological factors drive evolution?
(identifying selective agents and targets...)
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