Maize (corn) is one of the world's most important staple crops and has great cultural significance for Indigenous peoples in the Americas. New work by Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra, a Population Biology graduate group faculty member at UC Davis, and international colleagues shows how maize was domesticated from two wild varieties.
Jay Stachowicz, a professor of evolution and ecology and a Population Biology faculty member who studies the biodiversity and resilience of coastal ecosystems, has been named the 37th recipient of the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement. The prize, which recognizes exceptional teaching and scholarship, is among the largest of its kind in the country.
Beds of eelgrass (Zostera marina) form an important habitat in coastal regions throughout the northern hemisphere, crucial to many fish and other species and storing vast amounts of carbon. A new study published July 20 in Nature Plants shows that eelgrass spread around the world much more recently than previously thought, just under a quarter-million years ago.
Peter Wainwright, a Distinguished Professor, Population Biology faculty member, and Chair of the Department of Evolution and Ecology, has been honored with the 2023 Joseph S. Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in Ichthyology. Conferred by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH), the award recognizes exceptional contributions to the realm of fish biology and aquatic ecosystems.