Emeritus Professor Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado, Boulder

Jeff Mitton

Jeff Mitton, mitton@colorado.edu, is an emeritus professor of the University of Colorado Boulder Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Spring weather in Boulder is difficult to predict because it seems it is not a time of gradual warming but rather alternating days of summer and winter.

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Natural Selections: Mountain ball cactus has variation in floral color and scent

July 3, 2024 at 6:24 a.m.

Spring weather in Boulder is difficult to predict because it seems it is not a time of gradual warming but rather alternating days of summer and winter.

During a recent trip to photograph landscapes on the Navajo Nation, I was surprised to see the prairie visually dominated by a robust plant, 3 to 4 feet tall with thick stems, large leaves and showy plumes of red flowers.

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Natural Selections: Jeff Mitton: Curly dock has all the traits of a super weed

May 28, 2024 at 2:22 p.m.

During a recent trip to photograph landscapes on the Navajo Nation, I was surprised to see the prairie visually dominated by a robust plant, 3 to 4 feet tall with...

After spending several hours stalking and photographing butterflies on Flagstaff Mountain, I returned home and spent about 10 minutes removing burs from my jeans and wool socks.

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Natural Selections: Houndstongue is a noxious, poisonous weed with nasty seeds and pretty flowers

April 23, 2024 at 9:59 a.m.

After spending several hours stalking and photographing butterflies on Flagstaff Mountain, I returned home and spent about 10 minutes removing burs from my jeans and wool socks.

Hasley Meadow, in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, develops an impressive wildflower spectacle that I have enjoyed for two summers in a row.

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Natural Selections: Mountain dryad is adapted to high elevation, cold and windy sites

March 6, 2024 at 3:45 a.m.

Hasley Meadow, in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, develops an impressive wildflower spectacle that I have enjoyed for two summers in a row.

Comb Ridge is a monocline, a formation 80 miles long with a north-south orientation, rising gradually on the eastern side and dropping precipitously 600 feet on the western side.

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Natural Selections: Jeff Mitton: Grooves in a sandstone cliff reveal ancient tool sharpening

February 21, 2024 at 4:39 a.m.

Comb Ridge is a monocline, a formation 80 miles long with a north-south orientation, rising gradually on the eastern side and dropping precipitously 600 feet on the western side.

From the top of the mountain a faint trail, probably a game trail maintained by deer, led down the north-facing slope to a shady, moist area.

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Natural Selections: Jeff Mitton: Jelly fungi and slime molds on a log

January 31, 2024 at 4:12 a.m.

From the top of the mountain a faint trail, probably a game trail maintained by deer, led down the north-facing slope to a shady, moist area.

As I turned over in my sleeping bag, I noticed that the stars had faded and the sky had a bright red glow.

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Natural Selections: Jeff Mitton: Twinpods have many species with tiny populations adapted to harsh soils

January 17, 2024 at 5:42 a.m.

As I turned over in my sleeping bag, I noticed that the stars had faded and the sky had a bright red glow.

A few years ago, Adrian Carper, who is in both my department and the Museum of Natural History at the University of Colorado Boulder, told me about a species of bee that could chew nest holes into stone. It was fascinating, and it stuck with me.

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Science |
Jeff Mitton: Natural Selections: New bee species gnaws its nest holes into solid stone

December 20, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.

A few years ago, Adrian Carper, who is in both my department and the Museum of Natural History at the University of Colorado Boulder, told me about a species of...

A photograph of poop or scat arrived in my inbox and I was relieved to find that it was not an insult. Jeannie Thompson had been out hiking, and when she came across a distinctive scat she wondered which species had left it, so she sent it to me for identification.

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Science |
Jeff Mitton: Natural Selections: Why do coyotes leave poop in conspicuous places?

December 6, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.

A photograph of poop or scat arrived in my inbox and I was relieved to find that it was not an insult. Jeannie Thompson had been out hiking, and when...

I first saw rosy paintbrush, Castilleja rhexifolia, on a photography trip to Governor Basin, high above Ouray in the San Juan Mountains. It made a memorable first impression, for I had never seen that brilliant color that seems to glow with its own light.

Science |
Jeff Mitton: Natural Selections: Rosy paintbrush hybridizes, producing a range of bright colors

November 22, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.

I first saw rosy paintbrush, Castilleja rhexifolia, on a photography trip to Governor Basin, high above Ouray in the San Juan Mountains. It made a memorable first impression, for I...

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