University of Montana biologist Toby Spribille shakes science community with groundbreaking discovery

If you’re a biologist who studies lichen, it’s not often that The New York Times, The Atlantic and the Washington Post come calling in the same week. But that’s what happened to University of Montana researcher Toby Spribille, whose latest discovery will rewrite basic biology textbooks. It all started with specimens of yellow lichen collected in Pattee Canyon in 2011.

"They’re sort of the stars of the show," says John McCutcheon, the UM professor whose lab hosted the experiments.

By Kate Whittle

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