Thanks to all the people who came out on a Friday afternoon to listen to and discuss my talk about scientific research! If you want further information, there are two publications which describe some of the results I mentioned in more detail:
Cooperative breeding and monogamy
Life histories and cooperative breeding
As a side note, some of the discussion during the previous week on teamwork and collaboration reminded me of the explanations linked to grouping and teamwork in animals. In both debates we are interested in the potential benefits and conflict costs of coming together or providing help to another individual.
This article is a good starting point in case you would be interested in the classification of reasons why animal groups exist and the conflict they experience – it might be useful to help to understand the motivations of you and your colleagues within a collaborative enterprise: Evolutionary Explanations for Cooperation
Thanks, Dieter, for posting the links to your papers on this fascinating topic! I look forward to discussing more of your ideas about the generalizability of this research to emergence of cooperation in human animals (e.g., scientists) when we meet next week.
Thanks, Dieter! I almost did my PhD on coloniality and group size (in a very beautiful rotifer). After doing so much research on group living when I wrote that proposal, I now see a lot of social and political issues through that scientific lens as well!
Wow, love the review you linked here, Dieter – when I was studying this topic, the reviews were never so inclusive across taxa!
*Stephanie – those rotifers do look beautiful! Having a cute study animal seems to be beneficial, and not just to morale as this Plos One study shows!