Dr. Audrone Biknevicius is assistant professor of anatomy at Ohio University. She teaches functional morphology to undergraduates and human gross anatomy to medical students. Most of her research involves studying the feeding and killing adaptations of carnivores, such as cats. At what age did you choose your career? I knew in high school that I wanted to be a biologist because of my strong interest in animals, but it was not until my sophomore year in college that I decided to do research on the link between anatomy and behavior. Was there a specific event or person associated with that decision? My father influenced my early interest in nature and animals. Then, in college, when I took a course in primate evolution, I met Dr. John Fleagle. His enthusiasm for zoology was infectious, and the functional morphology approach that he advocated completely captured my imagination. I've never recovered from that influence. What has been the greatest experience of your career? Spending a summer in Kenya in 1986 searching for Miocene fossil primates and helping to collect ecological data on jackals and genets. It was very hard work, but it was extremely satisfying. What specialized skills do you need for the job? A firm foundation in the sciences is a must. An inquisitive mind helps to generate questions, and not being afraid to try new ideas helps to answer these questions. What is the most frustrating part of your job? There is an almost endless array of exciting research questions that are worth exploring, and I am quite certain that I won't get around to all of them! Any advice for young people considering a career in zoology? Even though the training is not easy, the results are worth it. Virtually every zoologist I know loves what she or he does for a living. What better job is there? If you could be any cat, which would you be? I would like to be a puma, the classic cat of the American west.