Elephant in trees  Baobab tree  Researchers doing fieldwork in woodland

NIEL is a research unit associated with the Department of Anthropology that uses diverse methods to explore the ecology of living and extinct mammals, both large and small. We are active in the field as well as the lab, and are currently working on projects in South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and the USA. We use several isotopic systems to address questions about mammalian diet, habitat, and their intersection. Much of our current effort is focused on obtaining nutritional and mechanical property data from foods to elucidate mammalian food choice, organismal and community ecology, morphological adaptation, and evolution. 

We offer analytical services to other units at the University of Colorado and elsewhere. Because we are research unit, not a money-making enterprise, we are more interested in collaborative projects than pay for hire work. Our interests are very broad, and extend to domesticated fauna, so feel free to contact us if you are looking for research partners with our analytical capabilities.