We focus on the optics and evolution of animal colors from the Jurassic to the present. We are particularly interested in those produced by highly organized tissues (structural colors) in feathers. These tissues act as one, two and three dimensional photonic crystals and are thus of interest at both a fundamental and applied level. Our work has recently expanded to include reconstruction of color from fossil organisms, including birds, mammals and dinosaurs. We are also interested in antimicrobial strategies in birds. We work with collaborators around the globe and try to strike a healthy balance between field and lab work.