RESEARCH PROGRAM

Sociality has evolved independently across the animal kingdom and understanding the evolution of cooperation systems requires investigating the selective pressures that favor group living. Our research is centered on understanding group formation and dynamics in social animals, and the balance between cooperation and conflict in these groups.  In addition, our research explores the relationship between brain development and sociality in animals: How do social animals process information from their environment to make decisions that enhance their survival and reproductive success? In animal societies where group members are constantly interacting, how do these interactions shape brain architecture and function? To address these questions, we investigate the relationship of social interactions, behavior cues, environmental factors, and brain architecture in a diverse set of arthropod taxa.  In our laboratory group, we use an integrative approach by combining field behavioral observations and experiments with laboratory analyses to explore the underlying neural systems. In a broader context, our research aims to understand the ecology and evolution of sociality in animals, especially those in the Tropics.

Below are links to our ongoing projects: