Name: Myths and Realities of How Wolf Reintroduction Changed Yellowstone
Start: 2026-02-12T19:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-02-12T20:30:00-07:00
Location: Clark Planetarium

Myths and Realities of How Wolf Reintroduction Changed Yellowstone

Wolves are often credited with transforming Yellowstone after their reintroduction in the 1990s—but the real story is more complex.
About this Event

Myths and Realities of How Wolf Reintroduction Changed Yellowstone

Wolves are often credited with transforming Yellowstone after their reintroduction in the 1990s—but the real story is more complex. Drawing on decades of research, this talk examines how wolves have influenced the ecology of northern Yellowstone National Park, the often overlooked role of human activity outside the park, and how humans and large carnivores together shape ecological change.

DANIEL MACNULTY -- Dr. Dan MacNulty is a Professor in the Department of Wildland Resources at Utah State University. He holds a PhD in ecology, evolution, and behavior and an MS in wildlife conservation from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and a BA in environmental studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research lies at the intersection of animal behavior, population biology, and community ecology, addressing both basic and applied questions in wildlife ecology and conservation.

MacNulty assisted with the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1990s and has conducted research on Yellowstone wolves continuously since that time. Much of his work focuses on the ecological consequences of wolf reintroduction and draws on several long-term, collaborative studies of carnivores, ungulates, and plants in northern Yellowstone National Park. His research findings are presented in numerous scientific publications and in his co-authored and co-edited books Wolves on the Hunt: The Behavior of Wolves Hunting Wild Prey and Yellowstone Wolves: Science and Discovery in the World’s First National Park, both published by the University of Chicago Press.

@danmacnulty.bsky.social

https://qanr.usu.edu/directory/macnulty-daniel

This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Please reserve only the number of tickets you will use.

About Science Utah:

The Science Utah Lecture Series is dedicated to bringing the latest scientific discoveries and discussions to the public, for free, by offering engaging lectures led by Utah-based scientists and researchers working in various fields.

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