Eric R. Pianka received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1965. He is currently a Professor of Zoology at the University of Texas at Austin. In regards to evolutionary and behavioral ecology, Pianka’s major contribution was his pioneering work on Optimal Foraging Theory. The model outlined in 1966 by MacArthur and Pianka formed the groundwork for inquiry into foraging behaviors, and has been applied to prehistoric and modern hunter-gatherer societies by anthropologists and archaeologists.
