Ecology

A mere decade ago, decoding the genome of every organism in a major branch of the tree of life and deciphering their diets was a pipe dream. In a groundbreaking study, a team of researchers from Vanderbilt University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and other institutions worldwide have done just that for the first time ever. Led by Abigail LaBella, a postdoctoral researcher in the Rokas Lab, an international research team used the genomes and diets of nearly all known species from an ancient lineage of yeasts to understand the evolution of generalists and specialists.  Read More

Feedback from editors and reviewers of academic journals is an often-understated driver of new research directions. Assistant Professor of Earth and environmental sciences Simon Darroch, found this to be the case for his new paper examining the differences between geographic ranges of species historic and living. Read More

A team of Vanderbilt students from a diverse array of majors traveled to the Central American island of Utila, Honduras, for a research experience examining the impact of tourism on the underwater ecosystem. Read More

Lenn Goodman, whose philosophical research is being lauded in a book that includes his name in the title, will be honored by academic colleagues at an April 20 public celebration in Buttrick Hall. Read More

The contributions of Quarterman and her graduate students to our understanding of the Middle Tennessee cedar glade ecosystem and the comeback of the critically endangered Tennessee coneflower are just part of her well-deserved legacy. Read More

"Sacred Ecology: Landscape Transformations for Ritual Practice," a symposium that explores the various experiences of complex ritual sites around the world and across all periods of history, takes place Aug. 30 at the Sarratt Student Center. Read More

Periodic cicadas, like those currently emerging in Middle Tennessee, play an important role in the local ecosystem. Read More

Latin American theologian Ivone Gebara will be part of a March 28 panel discussion on "Ecology, Gender and Liberation in Brazil." Read More