Donald K. Price

Professor of Biology
Expertise: Hawaiian Islands, Behavioral genetics, Evolutionary biology

Biography

Donald Price, a biologist and professor within UNLV's College of Sciences, is an expert on the evolution of species and the genetic factors that drive behavioral and physiological processes that allow species to diversify and adapt to their surroundings.

For years before joining UNLV, Price's work was based in Hawaii, which boasts high numbers of endemic species living among the islands' highly variable environments. At UNLV, his laboratory studies animals with wings, plants, and microbes. His work has explored a close relative of the common fruit fly called Hawaiian picture-wing flies (Drosophila), as well as ground beetles and endangered species such as the Hawaiian goose (nene), Hawaiian honeycreeper birds, and the Hawaiian hoary bat.

Price's research has been published in outlets including Ecology and Evolution, Molecular Biology and Evolution, and the American Journal of Botany.

Education

  • Ph.D., Ecology, Ethology and Evolution, University of Illinois

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Donald K. Price In The News

PetHelpful
As with most birds, food sources are always a draw, but ravens might also decide your home is the perfect place to rest or even nest.
Dengarden
As temperatures drop and natural food sources become harder for wildlife to find, your yard can become an important refreshment stop for winter birds. But simply getting whatever bird feeder you can find and filling it with seed isn’t always helpful. The type of feeder, where you place it and how often you clean it can all affect which birds show up and whether you accidentally invite squirrels, mice and other pests into your yard as well.
PetHelpful
From deterrents to yard changes, these expert-backed tips can help make your outdoor space less appealing to crows—without putting them at risk.
PetHelpful
Don’t brush it off as just another bird. From scientific reasons to ancient spiritual symbolism, here is what that repeated visitor is really trying to tell you.

Articles Featuring Donald K. Price

students walking down stairs past UNLV signage, with the Flashlight sculpture in the background
Campus News | September 2, 2026

A selection of prominent headlines featuring UNLV experts from July and August.

undergraduates
Campus News | June 1, 2026

A collection of top headlines featuring UNLV faculty and students.

springtime bees
Campus News | May 1, 2026

A flowery collection of top headlines featuring UNLV faculty and students.

Campus landscape
Campus News | March 3, 2026

Some of the hottest headlines featuring UNLV faculty, staff, and students.