Archived News

"‘Terror bird’ arrived in North America before land bridge, study finds"
A University of Florida-led study has determined that Titanis walleri, a prehistoric 7-foot-tall flightless “terror bird,” arrived in North America from South America long before a land bridge connected the two continents. (read more here).

"UF-Led study revises understanding of primate origins"
A new study led by a University of Florida paleontologist reconstructs the base of our family tree and extends its roots 10 million years, a finding that sheds new light on the origin and earliest stages of primate evolution. (read more here).

"History-hunting geneticists can still follow familiar trail"
As the world’s first explorers branched away from humanity’s birthplace in east Africa some 65,000 years ago, distinct mutations accumulated in the DNA of each population, essentially providing a genetic trail for modern researchers to follow. (read more here) .

"For crickets, parasitic flies can stop the music"
Love hurts — really bad, for some unlucky crickets, anyway. (read more here).

"Scientists: wildlife corridors benefit plant biodiversity, native plants"
Wildlife corridors appear to support not only wildlife but also plants —especially the oft-threatened native variety. (read more here).

"Palm Deaths Accelerating on Florida Coast; Likely Cause is Rising Seas"
Palm trees on Florida’s west coast appear to be dying more rapidly than in previous years because of sea level rise tied to global warming. (read more here).

"Evolutionary Origin of Fins, Limbs Studied"
Associate professor Martin Cohn of the departments of zoology and anatomy and cell biology and a member of the UF Genetics Institute was quoted in a July 28 United Press International story about his study showing an evolutionary link between fish fins and human limbs. (Read Full Story from UPI).

"Taking evolution’s temperature: Researchers pinpoint the energy it takes to make a species"
Comfortable living is not why so many different life forms seem to converge at the warmer areas of the planet.
Writing this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists say higher temperatures near the equator speed up the metabolisms of the inhabitants, fueling genetic changes that actually lead to the creation of new species. (read more here)

"UF zoologist receives $1 million from Howard Hughes Medical Institute"
Louis Guillette, a University of Florida distinguished professor of zoology, has been selected as one of 20 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, or HHMI, professors and will receive $1 million over the next four years to support undergraduate science education efforts at UF. (read more here)

"UF scientists reveal ancient origin of vertebrate skeleton"
University of Florida scientists have found that people have an ancient skeleton in their closets - a skeleton personified today by a jawless, eel-like fish. (read ScienceDaily article here)

"Brian Silliman's Science paper is discussed in National Geographic News"
Buoyed by the effects of an intense drought, otherwise harmless snails likely killed off thousands of acres of salt marsh in the Southeast in recent years. (read more here)

"A new angle on flowers: fish are players in pollination"
A new paper co-authored by Robert Holt, Michael McCoy, Krista McCoy and others was published last week in Nature. (read more here)

"Zoology Staff Give A Helping Hand With Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief"
Zoology Staff helps out by giving to the America's Second Harvest Food Bank for Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief.

" XXIX International Ethological Conference"
Dr. Jane Brockmann and Rachel Schwab recived the poster award at the XXIX International Ethological Conference. (read more here)

" Beckman Scholar mentors in Zoology"
Two of the mentors of this year's four Beckman Scholars, Lou Guillette, and David Julian, are professors in Zoology!
Scholar Lari McEdward is an honorary member of the department, the daughter of the late Dr. Larry McEdward. (read more here)

"Karen Bjorndal has been selected as the 14th Distinguished Alumni Professor"
Zoology Professor Karen Bjorndal has been selected as the 14th Distinguished Alumni Professor from July 2005 to June 2007. She receives an award of $10,000 from the UF Alumni Association and monetary support from the Office of Academic Affairs.

"Bird found in Gainesville is far from home"
The retention pond in The Home Depot parking lot might be the last place one would expect to discover an ecological rarity, but that's just what University of Florida graduate student DeLene Beeland recently stumbled upon.

"Douglas Levey"
Jean and Robin Gibson Term Professor

"Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis has been elected chair"

"A Genomic View of Animal Behavior"
By integrating studies in genomics, neuroscience, and evolution, researchers are beginning to reveal some of the mysteries of animal behavior

By integrating studies in genomics, neuroscience, and evolution, researchers are beginning to reveal some of the mysteries of animal behavior. Why a dog--or a human for that matter--cuddles up with one individual but growls at another is one of life's great mysteries, one of the myriad quirks of behavior that has fascinated and frustrated scientists for centuries. Here's another: are we hard-wired to tend our young or culturally indoctrinated to have family values? (read more here)

"Genetic analysis of lice supports direct contact between modern and archaic humans"
"The record of our past is written in our parasites..."

Questions concerning exactly how and when modern humans arose from their primate ancestors are amongst the most intensely debated topics in evolutionary biology. Fragmentary fossils and patchy genetic data provide key insights but fail to address a key question - did modern and archaic human species come into direct contact? Our study published in PLoS- Biology claims that not only did they meet, but that our ancient human relatives brought with them an unwelcome side effect - their head lice! (read more here)

"UF Delegation Visits France to Build Collaborations"

At the invitation and expense of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a delegation of college representatives traveled to Paris in June to present proposals for research collaborations. UF was one of only four US research institutions chosen to participate in the day-long workshop, which was organized by the French Embassy. (read more here)

"Butterfly Rainforest"
Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai visits the Butterfly Rainforest with Zoology faculty and staff.

"An Island Wilderness "
Seahorse Key Provides Pristine Research Area

The island of Seahorse Key, Florida has been home to an interesting mix of inhabitants over the years, from Seminole prisoners to Civil War soldiers. But in recent times, it has gone to the birds…and the snakes and the horseshoe crabs. Located off the shore of Cedar Key, about a 20-minute boat ride from the town’s popular oceanfront boardwalk, the serene island paradise is uninhabited by humans, with the exception of researchers and educators utilizing the University of Florida Seahorse Key Marine Laboratory. (read more here)


" Job Hunting for Two "
When the PhD ends, the search begins

When zoologists Tamatha Barbeau and Greg Pryor began their job search for tenure-track faculty positions in the same departments at the same colleges a year ago, they were called naïve, unrealistic and out-of-touch. "As a married couple, our quest to find two faculty positions in the same department seemed to many like a pipe dream," Greg says. "We are thrilled that the pipe dream has become a reality--we have both landed positions as assistant professors of biology." (read more here)