Evolutionary Morphology and Animal Ecology, Institute of

(full name, A. N. Severtsov Institute of Evolutionary Morphology and Animal Ecology of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR), the leading Soviet scientific research institution engaged in the study of the phenomena of the evolutionary process and animal ecology, as well as a center for research in morphology. Located in Moscow, it was established in 1967 on the basis of the Institute of Evolutionary Morphology (founded 1935). The laboratories of experimental zoology (founded 1893 by A. O. Kovalevskii) and evolutionary morphology (founded 1930 by A. N. Severtsov) were incorporated into the institute and were contributing factors in determining its fields of specialization.

The institute has (1977) 20 laboratories, including laboratories of soil zoology and experimental entomology, the morphology and ecology of higher vertebrates, problems of domesticating animals, radioecology, the ecology of communities of terrestrial invertebrates, the behavior of lower vertebrates, problems of fish orientation, bioacoustics, and bird orientation and navigation (with a tagging center). It has a number of research groups, including the Man and the Biosphere, historical ecology, and bio-cybernetics groups.

The institute administers the Glubokoe Ozero Biological Station (organized 1891; Ruza Raion, Moscow Oblast), the Kostroma Taiga Experiment Station (organized 1977; Manturovo Raion, Kostroma Oblast), Utrish Marine Station (organized 1977; Anapa Raion, Krasnodar Krai, RSFSR), the Varzob Mountain Station (organized 1977; Tadzhik SSR), the Muka-chevo Experimental Facility (organized 1959; Transcarpathian Oblast, Ukrainian SSR), the Chernogolovka Experimental Facility (organized 1975; Noginsk Raion, Moscow Oblast), a vivarium, and an electron microscopy unit.

The institute conducts research in the evolution of the structure, organs, and tissues of animals, the evolution of ontogeny, intraspecific variation of animals, changes resulting from domestication, the phylogenetic basis of animal behavior and orientation, patterns of animal population dynamics and biomass, and the evolution of biogeocenoses.