Associate Professor
Department: Division of Biological Sciences
University System: University of Montana - Missoula
Website(s): http://hs.umt.edu/dbs/flightlab/people/faculty-details.php?s=Tobalske
Professional Summary:
Research Interests
Comparative Biomechanics, Functional Morphology, Muscle Physiology
Central to the biology of birds, bats, and insects: flight requires more power output than any other form of animal locomotion. Ultimately, I seek to understand how flight has shaped the ecology and evolution of birds. I use a variety of techniques to explore the mechanisms of bird flight in both the laboratory and in the field. Much of my recent work uses a laser-based system to measure patterns of airflow about the wings and in the wake of flying birds. I am working to relate these flow dynamics to the in vivo muscle work and power output produced during flight.
Although my primary focus is on bird flight, I am also deeply interested in a wide array of topics in comparative biomechanics and functional morphology. I am open to advising graduate students who wish to study taxa other than birds and other forms of animal performance including swimming and feeding. I also have an abiding interest in the conservation biology of cavity-nesting birds.