John D. Orcutt, Ph.D.

As a paleobiologist, I work in a field that draws on biological and geological evidence to answer questions about the natural world and how it functions. I am especially interested in how mammal evolution has been impacted by environmental change through time and how we can use ancient organisms and ecosystems to better understand and predict the effects of modern climate change. The Northwest is a natural paleobiological laboratory, and besides using the region as a backdrop for teaching courses on ecology and evolution, I am working with undergraduate researchers to help understand the biological saga told by local fossils.