He was appointed a curator for ethology and became a professor in the Faculty of Ecology, Evolution and Behavioral Science at the University of Minnesota.
[2] In the 1950s and 1960s, his research focused on the macroevolutionary aspects of social signals and other behavior patterns in ducks.
[2] The 1972 book "Sexual Selection and the Descent of Man: The Darwinian Pivot" edited by Bernard Grant Campbell[5][6] (1930-2017) stimulated McKinney's interest in gender conflict and raised his doubts about older theories of pair bonding.
During the last 20 years of his career, his research dealt with sperm competition, partner switching, and related topics.
He supervised almost 50 undergraduate research projects on animal behavior, including fish, iguanas, and primates.
While on an errand to get packing boxes, he suffered a second heart attack and quickly died, leaving Meryl McKinney a widow after 38 years of marriage.