Organismal and Evolutionary Biology 
Research at PCOM

Organismal biology is a branch of biology that focuses on the study of whole organisms and their functions. It seeks to understand how individual organisms operate, survive and interact with their environment. Organismal biologists study a wide range of living things, from microscopic bacteria to plants, insects, animals and humans. They investigate topics like how organisms obtain and use energy, how they grow and reproduce, how they respond to the environment around them and how they interact with other living creatures. By studying the characteristics and behaviors of different organisms, organismal biologists seek understand larger ecological systems, as well as find valuable information for other fields or research such as medicine, conservation and agriculture.

Evolutionary biology is the scientific study of how living organisms have changed and diversified over time. It examines the processes and patterns of biological evolution, focusing on the origin, adaptation and relationships of species. By investigating genetic variation, natural selection and other evolutionary forces, evolutionary biology provides insights into how living creatures develop and diversify on Earth.

PCOM's interdisciplinary group of researchers studies multiple subfields of comparative vertebrate morphology, including biodiversity and systematics (nomenclature and relationships), evolutionary developmental biology, paleobiology (anthropology and paleontology) and physiology. Faculty and student investigators utilize model organisms to understand factors that both drive and impact the divergence and evolution of many species, including humans.