University of Wyoming, Department of Zoology & Physiology

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University of Wyoming, Department of Zoology & Physiology The official page of the University of Wyoming Department of Zoology & Physiology.

Showcasing our people, research, teaching, fieldwork, and discoveries from Wyoming and around the world.

This summer, the Williamson Lab, including Dr. Jessie Williamson, Margie H**p, Collin Porter, and collaborators conducte...
10/14/2026

This summer, the Williamson Lab, including Dr. Jessie Williamson, Margie H**p, Collin Porter, and collaborators conducted 5 weeks of NSF-funded fieldwork in the Peruvian Andes to study the genomic and eco-physiological mechanisms that allow giant hummingbirds to thrive under extreme environmental conditions. Working with collaborators from the Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI) in Lima and the University of Montana, they studied Northern (Patagona peruviana) and Southern Giant Hummingbirds (P. gigas), along with other Andean hummingbirds, at a high-elevation site in the Department of Lima. Their fieldwork combined physiological measurements and experimental hypoxia exposures with collection of blood and genetic samples for ongoing genomic projects. UW PiEE Ph.D. student Margie H**p collected important data for her dissertation investigating how morphology shapes flight performance across elevational gradients, and their team additionally deployed ultra-light tags to track the movement of several Andean hummingbird species. Together, these data will allow the lab to examine how physiology, movement, and genomic variation contribute to high-altitude adaptation.

10/14/2026

Take a peek at Zoology and Physiology student Zachery Holmes' research in Hawaii! Zachery is studying seed dispersal, frugivory, and informational signals in O'ahu.

Mammalogy students Evan Baumer, Wyatt Rau, Dillon Simpson, Annabella Helman, Lola Hensel, Abby Morrison, & Kenna Boldt l...
10/12/2026

Mammalogy students Evan Baumer, Wyatt Rau, Dillon Simpson, Annabella Helman, Lola Hensel, Abby Morrison, & Kenna Boldt led by Dr. Zimova placed camera traps to observe wildlife on Pilot Hill just outside of Laramie Wyoming. The students will return to the trap site in late October to collect the cameras and review the images. Stay tuned for the wildlife shots they collected!

Alex Kurtt, a PhD student in the Dillon lab, conducted a summer of field research in central Colombia with support from ...
10/06/2026

Alex Kurtt, a PhD student in the Dillon lab, conducted a summer of field research in central Colombia with support from a Science Institute graduate fellowship in association with Wyldtech, the Department of Zoology and Physiology, Tiernan fellowship, and the L. Floyd Clarke fund. Alex collaborated with Dr. Victor Gonzalez from the University of Kansas and with Universidad Militar Nueva Granada to learn about native Colombian bees and their environments. Working with both US and Colombian students, Alex investigated the physiological effects of high altitude on native bee species, measuring body morphology and wing kinematics across a range elevations. This work aims to better understand how bees will cope with decreased air pressure as they disperse to higher altitudes in search of relief from rising temperatures. Listen here https://theworld.org/stories/2026/07/30/how-to-save-colombias-high-altitude-bees to learn more about Alex and Dr. Gonzalez's work!

As we settle into the rhythm of another fall semester here in Zoology & Physiology, we want to share our excellent lineu...
09/16/2026

As we settle into the rhythm of another fall semester here in Zoology & Physiology, we want to share our excellent lineup of seminar speakers this semester! Join us for our Ecology & Evolution Biology seminar on Thursdays from 1-2, as well as our Wyoming Sensory Biology Center Fall Seminar Series on Thursdays at 4:10.

We would like extend our congratulations to Zoo/Phys Assistant Professor Ram Shukla, who recently received a Young Inves...
09/08/2026

We would like extend our congratulations to Zoo/Phys Assistant Professor Ram Shukla, who recently received a Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) for his project, titled “Translating Human Gene-Family Molecular Signatures of Suicidality into Behavior Models.”.

The BBRF is a global nonprofit organization focused on improving the understanding, prevention and treatment of psychiatric and mental illnesses by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research.

Read more on the UW News here: https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/08/uws-shukla-receives-young-investigator-grant-to-fund-psychiatric-neuroscience-research.html

We want to extend a warm welcome to our students as they make their way back to campus for the Fall 2026 semester! To ou...
08/31/2026

We want to extend a warm welcome to our students as they make their way back to campus for the Fall 2026 semester! To our returning students: welcome back! To our new students: welcome, and we are so excited to see you learn, grow, and join our community here in the Zoology & Physiology Department.

Keep an eye out for exciting news regarding seminar schedules, scholarship opportunities, and department events. We have a busy Fall ahead!

Over the last six months, the Tarwater lab has been hard at work in O'ahu, Hawai'i as part of the Hawaii VINE Project, l...
08/18/2026

Over the last six months, the Tarwater lab has been hard at work in O'ahu, Hawai'i as part of the Hawaii VINE Project, led by Corey Tarwater and Patrick Kelley. The team is answering questions about plant-disperser interactions, seed dispersal, and pollination services in this novel ecosystem.

This past season included monthly outreach events and daily field work to quantify fruit abundance, bird abundance, and disperser-plant interactions using game cameras, as well as implement and troubleshoot a plot-level fruit removal experiment. We were challenged by new protocols, extreme weather, and landslides, but had a successful season! This work is ongoing; many thanks to all the people involved in continued data collection.

As summer begins to wind down, and we prepare to welcome students back, we wanted to post a quick throwback from Fall 20...
08/11/2026

As summer begins to wind down, and we prepare to welcome students back, we wanted to post a quick throwback from Fall 2025! Hosted in October 2025, the ZP Open Lab event was a great success, and we were thrilled to welcome friends, alumni, family, and our community into our building to show off our research, students, and faculty!

Summer field season is in full swing! 🌊🐟 As part of the Walters (ZP Dept) and Wagner (Botany Dept) labs, M.S. student Ca...
08/04/2026

Summer field season is in full swing! 🌊🐟 As part of the Walters (ZP Dept) and Wagner (Botany Dept) labs, M.S. student Caroline Varie and technicians Desire Umbora and Olivia Lord are surveying streams across northeast Wyoming to study the distribution, abundance, and genetics of Plains Sucker (Pantosteus jordani). Conducted in partnership with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, this research will help improve our understanding of the species' distribution and provide information to support the conservation and management of this native Wyoming fish.

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1000 E University Avenue
Laramie, WY
82071

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