Hummingbirds are so fast they’re often not seen, only heard.

But observed in controlled environments, the birds that can weigh less than a nickel and turn on a dime have a lot to show.

Especially to Carleton University’s Roslyn Dakin, who wants to understand how hummingbirds evolved to solve their problems.

“I was always fascinated by evolution,” says Dakin.

“It just seemed like this mind-blowing thing that species could change and that we could understand that process.”

Dakin specializes in behavioural data and analyzing the movements of birds to understand how they control their movement. As she sets up her lab in Carleton’s Department of Biology, she will begin teaching the first-year course Biological Methods, Analysis and Interpretation this fall.

“I’m really excited to teach that to the next generation of biologists,” she says. “If it wasn’t for that foundation of quantitative skills, I wouldn’t be able to address the biological questions that I’m interested in.”