By Emily Senkosky, UM News Service
MISSOULA – Focused behind a CT scanner, Nicole Lopez, a doctoral student at the University of Montana, looks meticulously at her specimen. Under the scan isn’t a human, but another species entirely. Analyzing the bone density of a set of elk antlers, Lopez is looking for a clue that supports a working theory she has on antlers and how they have evolved to date.
A student in UM’s Ecology and Evolution Program, Lopez is one of the leading ladies pioneering new understanding of the animal kingdom through the female perspective, a viewpoint historically left out of the science lab. In the evolutionary ecology lab of UM biology Professor Doug Emlen, women reign supreme. Their groundbreaking work looks to turn the tide on the going standard for females in STEM – where women are given smaller research grants and make up only 12% of national science academy members.
These fierce female researchers are making new discoveries in a gender-disproportionate field while helping rewrite the script on certain species’ evolution. Through her Ph.D.’s investigation, Lopez aims to take our understanding of elk by the “horns,” both literally and figuratively.
From the Ocean to the Prairie
Growing up in California, Lopez never would have guessed she’d end up scientifically studying trophies such as elk antlers in Missoula, Montana. Ever since she was a kid, she wanted to be a marine veterinarian, and her love for animals started first with a love for the ocean.
When Lopez started her undergraduate and took her first trip out onto the big blue, constant seasickness told her otherwise. Forced to pivot, she decided to study organismal biology, which is the study of the structure, function, ecology and evolution of life on Earth. Essentially, this part of biology looks at the form and function of how species have evolved over time in accordance with their environment.
Her work as a young scientist started in a lab focused on urban evolutionary ecology. The lab looked at various intersections between species and the pressures dispensed by humans and urban development. From skunks to coyotes, the lab hoped to understand what stimuli and environments caused the animals to change their behavior.
“Natural history is trying to fill in the gaps of why certain morphologies arose and what pressures led to them,” Lopez said. “I hope my research will fill in the form and function link better – maybe give us a clearer idea of how some traits evolved.”
This type of research often involves baiting animals, helping researchers to see what they are willing to risk for food. Lopez said this experience was a great introduction to the quirks of evolutionary ecology. Oftentimes, in order to get data, she deployed some innovative tactics to try and outsmart the animals – from crisscrossed wires to river rock traps and a multitude of other MacGyver methods.
Even in her undergraduate, she received funding for her research through Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC USTAR), a scholarship program that provides financial and academic support to underrepresented students interested in research careers and planning to pursue a Ph.D. This and other grants allowed Lopez to work independently and pursue her interests, which was the evolution of mammal forms. Ultimately, that passion landed her in Montana where the deer and the antelope play.
Brains vs. Brawn
Lopez’s most recent research delved into a fascinating evolutionary dichotomy: While males invest heavily in the development of larger weapons (such as antlers and horns) as a signal of strength, females invest in larger brains. Her research revealed this relationship between brain size and weaponry holds across almost 30 species, and big-picture ideas like this have become a cornerstone of her dissertation. More significantly, work like hers is redrafting Darwin’s theory – introducing new scientific questions about genetic and environmental pressures that have shaped the evolutionary path of females.
To better understand the shape of antlers in elk, she is getting her hands dirty. Going out into the rut every fall season, Lopez has worked with local hunters at harvest check stations to collect a large sample of elk antlers. She also uses camera traps to study elk behavior, including antler growth and fighting patterns. Finally, she uses the CT scanner from a local doctor’s office and 3D modeling techniques to study antler shape and size variation – modeling how much force antlers experience when bulls strike each other in combat. Additionally, she studies where on the antler these forces are concentrated. Her biomechanical models will let her predict where exactly branched antlers should fail – and she can test these predictions with the natural breaks on antlers she observes at hunter check stations.
“I think the more we can understand why traits are sexually selected, the more we can understand this species,” she said. “When that happens, I believe wildlife management can be better equipped to preserve those traits in the population.”
Lopez’s adviser, Emlen, is helping her develop a final research question for the project while assisting her in analyzing how the diversity of antler shapes evolved across species.
“Nicole is like a force of nature,” Emlen said. “For years we focused on the weapons of rhinoceros beetles. Now, thanks to Nicole, we are collaborating with wildlife biologists and ungulate biologists around the world.”
Her research has been so revolutionary she has gone international to collaborate with other researchers who work with other antlered species. Lopez will work with Dr. Simone Ciuti, an assistant professor of biology and environmental science at Dublin University. The two will cross-compare their biomechanical modeling of Montana elk and European fallow deer, presenting results at the International Society for Behavioral Ecology conference in Melbourne, Australia, this September.
For Lopez, this work is about more than just understanding elk – it’s about contributing to a broader, more inclusive conversation in evolutionary biology. Her research could redefine our understanding of how different species – particularly those like elk that have adistinct difference in size or appearance between males and females – have evolved under various ecological pressures.
“At the local level, these animals are super well loved by the public and their culture is very important,” Lopez said. “I think trying to connect more with their ecology and the charismatic nature can help people start to value them in new ways.”
In the long run, Lopez hopes to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world conservation issues, helping to not only advance scientific knowledge but also contribute to the effective management of wildlife populations.
By focusing on both the brains and the brawn of elk, Lopez is challenging long-standing assumptions about the natural world and helping to write female species into the evolutionary script – one antler at a time.
