Two researchers are kneeling down, excavating a fossil with a small hand tool. A brush is on the left.

Divisions

The KU Biodiversity Institute studies the past and present biological diversity of the planet while training the next generation of scientists.

Divisions

Archaeology

Archaeology

The study of past human cultures.
2 BI Modeling researchers looking at a computer

Biodiversity Modeling

The description and understanding of species distributions and biodiversity patterns.
A dried plant specimen mounted on paper with a bar code in left corner and information on right corner

Botany

The world’s plants — their global diversity, evolution, geography, genomic, morphology, conservation, ecology, and behavior.

Divisions

graph visual

Data Management

Researching large-scale data interoperability for the earth and life sciences.
Looking down on two people standing in front of collection drawers open, showing insect specimens

Entomology

The world's insects — their global diversity, evolution, geography, genomic, morphology, conservation, ecology, and behavior.
four herpetology researchers in lab looking at specimens

Herpetology

The systematics, evolution, biogeography, genetics, morphology, conservation, ecology, and behavior of reptiles and amphibians.

Divisions

ichthyology researcher in lab

Ichthyology

Evolution, biodiversity, genomics, morphology, ecology, biogeography, and life history of fishes.
informatics staff around a conference table

Informatics

A multidisciplinary unit of biologists and software engineers which develops and supports software for biological collections research.
Invertebrate paleontologists looking at a specimen

Invertebrate Paleontology

The world’s fossil invertebrates – their relevance to evolutionary theory, their phylogenetic significance, as well as their paleobiogeography, paleoecology, and morphology.

Divisions

Four invertebrate zoology researchers on a boat

Invertebrate Zoology

The world’s parasites — their global diversity, evolution, geography, genomics, morphology, conservation, ecology, and behavior.
A researcher examining a skull behind a table full of specimens

Mammalogy

The world's mammals — their global diversity, evolution, geography, genomics, morphology, conservation, ecology, and behavior.
Ornithology researchers examining a collections drawer full of bird specimens

Ornithology

The world's birds — their species limits and species diversity, evolution, geography, genetics and genomics, morphology, conservation, ecology and behavior.

Divisions

researcher wearing a thick red parka in a snowy landscape

Paleobotany

Plants in the geologic past—their global diversity, evolution, geography, structure, morphology, and ecology, as well as the stewardship of the collections for future generations.
Vertebrate Paleontology researchers looking at specimens

Vertebrate Paleontology

The world’s prehistoric vertebrates — their global diversity, phylogeny, macroevolutionary patterns, historical biogeography, morphology, paleoecology, and behavior.
tree

Phylogenetic Modeling

The Phylogenetic Modeling division is focused on phylogenetic inference. Researcher Mark Holder is interested in both the statistical basis of tree estimation and the wide range of algorithms used to exploit phylogenies to answer evolutionary questions.