Transitions in Sociality

Speaker: Dr. Charlie Cornwallis, Dept. of Biology, Lund University
Hosts: Roberta Fisher, Koos Boomsma and Guoije Zhang, Section for Ecology and Evolution

Abstract
Life on earth has evolved through a series of transitions where individual units, including genes, cells and organisms, have forfeited independent reproduction to live in groups. Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain such transitions: mutually beneficial interactions between unrelated units, and altruistic interactions between related individuals. Here I examine whether transitions from independent reproduction to reproducing in groups across birds are explained by these two mechanisms, and what consequences this has for the division of labour within groups.