Sociality, communication and animal cognitive abilities

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My research examines genetic and environmental factors promoting cooperation and sociality in animals, as well as ways in which members of social groups share and process information. Ground squirrels and ants are the focus of my research because they are abundant and highly social. Comparisons of social behaviour across species allow me to identify which factors in general promote animal sociality. My research to date suggests that as societies evolve, they become more inclusive, with increasing cooperation among non-relatives. Favoritism toward kin, and kin recognition common in the early evolution of sociality, may remain in place so that animals can avoid mating with close relatives. My proposed research expands significantly on my earlier findings. First, I will collect field data on whether asocial Franklin's ground squirrels use kin recognition to associate and cooperate preferentially with relatives, or simply to avoid mating with close kin. By looking at the role of kin recognition in asocial species, I can determine what role that ability played in social evolution. I will also conduct experiments on slave making ants, which will test whether long-term parasitic relationships between species can lead to aspects of cooperation. Secondly, as communication among group members is necessary within a society, I will continue research on alarm communication in ground squirrels. I will build on my earlier finding that squirrels recognize individual alarm callers by testing whether call recipients integrate information from multiple unrelated callers to track predator's movements. I will also conduct field studies to test whether individuals share information about their level of vigilance toward possible predators, and whether the ultrasonic alarm calls discovered recently by my lab, selectively warn relatives, or selfishly prevent callers from being located by predators. Examining how information is obtained and processed by animals reveals their underlying cognitive abilities. Overall, my work provides important insights into how sociality evolved, and how communication and cognitive abilities contribute to societal cooperation. The basic biological data obtained on potentially vulnerable Franklin's ground squirrels also contribute to conservation efforts.