• mbutler@hawaii.edu
• (808) 956-8621
• EDM 316
• Lab Website

Research interests

At the simplest level, I am interested in how animals function, and the interaction between morphological design (what variations can animals have), environmental needs (or selective pressures), and evolutionary history (phylogeny).

I am especially interested in sexual dimorphism, especially where males and females differ in ways that are important for function or ecology. Sexual dimorphism is a great phenomenon to study because it not only provides a window into the biology of a species, but also can help us to understand the functional significance of morphological variation.