Advisor:
Kern Reeve Start Date:
Fall 2006
I am currently working with Kern Reeve to test the hypothesis that cooperation within social groups emerges in response to competition between groups. Our study species is a paper wasp, Polistes dominulus, whose nests I have transplanted to high nest density (high inter-group competition) and low nest density (low inter-group competition) areas. I will compare the rates of aggressive and cooperative behaviors between nest-mates before and after the transplant, thereby determining whether within-group cooperation increases with heightened between-group competition. Over the course of my PhD, I am interested in extending this hypothesis to human societies, as well as developing ideas on communication, particularly deceptive signaling, in animal societies.
