College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

Home Undergraduate Students Graduate Students Alumni Faculty/Staff Research Facilities Seminar Series College of Agriculture and Life Sciences College of Liberal Arts and Science Show Your Support Resources for Educators	Welcome Welcome to the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) at Iowa State University. EEOB has many active research programs and opportunities for student interest in conservation biology, ecological and evolutionary genomics, population, community, and ecosystem ecology, quantitative genetics, and other traditional organismal disciplines such as taxonomy. Faculty in EEOB are linked through students and research programs to many other departments within the life sciences, as well as to supporting disciplines in the physical and computational sciences. The diverse knowledge of the EEOB faculty provides unique opportunities for undergraduate students majoring in Biology, Genetics, and Environmental Science, to whom we offer a rich and cutting-edge curriculum. If you have any questions about programs or opportunities in EEOB, please contact us at 515-294-0133. We look forward to serving you. Iowa State University researchers unlock secrets of turtle genome Researchers at Iowa State University have helped to unlock some of the secrets buried deep in the genome of a common species of turtle with the use of the latest methods and cutting-edge technology. Fredric Janzen, an ISU professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology, said conclusions drawn by the authors of a recently published paper in the journal Genome Biology shed light on important biological topics and answer questions regarding some of the western painted turtle’s most remarkable characteristics. In addition to Janzen, the study’s authors include two other faculty members at Iowa State. Nicole Valenzuela, an ISU associate professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology, was part of the steering committee that helped assemble the team and is one of the paper’s six leading co-authors; and Anne Bronikowski, also an associate professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology, worked to identify how genes that govern metabolism and aging evolve. Full Article Graduate Student Spotlight Graduate student's work featured on Living on Earth with Steve Curwood Rory Telemeco was featured on the weekly news and information program distributed by Public Radio International. In this broadcast, Telemeco discusses climate change and its imapct on Painted Turtles. Transcript Recent Graduate Student Spotlights	News & Updates Debinski looks into species vulnerability to drought Dr. Diane Debinksi, as well as fellow researcher, were recently published in the May 2013 issue of Ecology. Their paper, "Gradient-based habitat affinities predict species vulnerability to drought" examined changes in abundance of butterfly species along a hydrological gradient of six montane meadow habitat types in response to drought. Our data collection began prior to the drought, and we were able to track changes for 11 years, of which eight were considered mild to extreme drought conditions. Abstract Wilsey conducts research on biodiversity-ecosystem stability relationships EEOB faculty member Brian Wilsey participated in two recent meta-analyses on biodiversity-ecosystem stability relationships. The papers tested whether the biodiversity-productivity responses across studies was correlated with biodiversity-stability responses, and tested theoretical predictions. Papers are in press at the journals Ecology Letters and Ecology. 10% of young adult book sales to go to turtle research Erin Keyser Horn's latest book is loosely based on the turtle research conducted by Dr. Fredric Janzen's lab each summer. Horn is donated 10% of the April Sales of her book River's Edge to the TREE program, Janzen's initiative that involves high school and undergrad students working on elogical research at Thomson Causeway, Illinois. Full Article Bobcats are back EEOB's Dr. Bill Clark speaks with Iowa Public Radio about the status of bobcats in Iowa. Listen Debinski awarded Margaret Sloss Women's Center Gender Equity Award EEOB faculty member, Dr. Diane Debinksi, was awarded the Margaret Sloss Women's Center of Gender Equity Award at a reception held March 26th at 3;30 pm in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union. The western painted turtle genome, a model for the evolution of extreme physiological adaptations in a slowly evolving lineage EEOB faculty members, Anne Bronikowski, Fredric Janzen, and Nicole Valenzuela, et al publish research in Genome Biology. Abstract
		Seminar Series: The upcoming fall schedule will be announced in August.