The study of animal biology requires the unification of many enquiries focused in genetics, ecology, and physiology so that the complexities of life can be appreciated at all levels – molecule, cell, organ, organ system, organism, population, and community.
At any one time, thousands of processes are ongoing in any one animal. These processes define development, growth, metabolism, reproduction, movement, and even response to environmental stressors be they infectious agent or change in habitat and food web, for example. A knowledge of these processes will help us to better understand how animals are born, grow, move, reproduce, and basically thrive as individuals, in populations, and in communities. A knowledge of these processes will help us to discern how when any process is faulty or dysfunctional there are deficiencies that can impact an individual animal or species. Insight into these processes will help us to determine how to help species succeed or recover.
In Animal Science, we examine the biology of animals from multiple approaches to understand how animals live and grow, thrive and procreate, and adapt, evolve, or die. We consider the biological processes of wild, captive, and domesticated species, and oftentimes compare amongst them to understand what makes any one species so successful. We consider how changes in inter-connected systems impact animals from the community level down to the individually inherited nucleotide. We use this knowledge to help make decisions that improve animal well-being and that strengthen strategies for sustainable animal production and management.
Associated Programs & Centers
- Genomic Variation Laboratory
- Quantitative Genetics Lab
- Canine Genetic Analysis Project
- Animal Systems Biology
- Mitloehner Lab
- Animal Biotechnology
- Genomics for Improving Animal Production (GIAP)
- Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Genomics to Improve Poultry
- Animal Systems Biology Analysis and Modeling Center
- Aquaculture - UC Davis Cooperative Extension
- Animal Behavior and Cognition Lab
- Miller Lab
- Meat Quality & Safety Laboratory
Associated Faculty
- Trish Berger
- Hao Cheng
- Mary Delany
- Anna Denicol
- Edward DePeters
- John Eadie
- James Fadel
- Jackson Gross
- Matthias Hess
- Kristina Horback
- Russ Hovey
- Joshua Hull
- Annie King
- Kirk Klasing
- Dietmar Kueltz
- Yanhong Liu
- Elizabeth Maga
- Maja Makagon
- Amy McLean
- Michael Mienaltowski
- Michael Miller
- Frank Mitloehner
- James Murray
- Ania Oberbauer
- Lee Allen Pettey
- Pablo Ross
- Andrea Schreier
- Anne Todgham
- Payam Vahmani
- Alison Van Eenennaam
- Crystal Yang
- Huaijun Zhou
- Richard Zinn