Social insects with complex societies like honeybees and army ants are cool- but how, and why, do they exist at all? Eusociality represents a major transition in evolution: understanding the origins, mechanisms and function of social behaviour provides important insights into one of the most fascinating phenomena in the natural world.
Why do animals live together in societies? How did social insects evolve, and what are the mechanisms by which social behaviour arises? We are addressing these questions by taking a holistic view of social behaviour, from the differences in gene expression to the observable phenotypes we see in the field. Our favourite study organisms are wasps, bees, ants and termites- but we have space in our hearts (and minds) for social beetles, too!
Read more about our main research themes and approaches: