The evolution of sociality

为什么有些个体和物种比其他个体和物种更具社会性或合作性？当自然选择被认为有利于自身利益时，合作如何发展？几十年来，进化生物学家就这些问题展开了激烈的辩论。利用创新的分子技术、野外和实验室行为实验以及基因表达的跨物种比较(社会性物种和非社会性物种)，我的学生和我将提供一个关于社会群体中合作和冲突的原因和后果的新视角。这项研究将行为、基因和生理学联系起来，从而为社会行为的进化产生了一个更全面、更统一的理论。利用非传统的研究物种，慈鱼将使我能够实验性地揭开一些负责合作和群体生活的神经和遗传机制。这些发现将被用来开发新的、更综合的合作和冲突进化模型，这些模型基于更现实的假设，这些假设由社会行为背后的神经生理学提供信息。我的长期研究目标是扩大我们对复杂社会行为的理解，并澄清生活史、人口学、遗传学和生理学所起的作用。短期研究的目的是确定1)哪些因素影响社会群体中的合作和冲突；2)社会行为的变化如何触发差异基因表达。该研究计划将为博士后研究员、毕业生和本科生提供有价值的和有市场的技能，培训他们行为、统计学、生态学、遗传学、生理学和神经生物学方法。通过探索社会经验对两性和统治阶层的影响，结果可能会影响到不同学科的许多研究人员。该研究项目还将促进加拿大、美国和非洲科学家之间的知识国际转移。最后，通过继续在赞比亚和坦噶尼喀湖开展加拿大的科学活动，将有助于加强加拿大在鱼类、渔业和水环境研究方面的领导地位。

Why are some individuals and species more social or cooperative than others? How can cooperation evolve when natural selection is thought to favour self interest? Evolutionary biologists have hotly debated these issues for decades. Using a combination of innovative molecular techniques, field and lab behavioural experiments, and cross species comparisons of gene expression (social vs non-social species), my students and I will provide a new perspective on the causes and consequences of cooperation and conflict in social groups. The research links behaviour, genes and physiology and in so doing generates a more comprehensive and unified theory for the evolution of social behaviour. Use of non-traditional study species, cichlid fishes will allow me to experimentally unravel some of the neural and genetic mechanisms responsible for cooperation and group living. Findings will be used to develop new, more integrated evolutionary models of cooperation and conflict, based on more realistic assumptions informed by the neurophysiology underlying social behaviour. My long-term research aim is to broaden our understanding of complex social behaviour, and clarify the roles played by life history, demography, genetics and physiology. The short-term research aims are to determine 1) what factors influence cooperation and conflict in social groups; and 2) how change in social behaviour triggers differential gene expression. The research program will provide postdoctoral fellows, graduates and undergraduate students with valuable and marketable skills, training them in behavioural, statistical, ecological, genetic, physiological and neurobiological methodologies. By exploring the impacts of social experience on both sexes and across dominance ranks, the results are likely to influence many researchers across a diverse set of disciplines. The research program will also facilitate an international transfer of knowledge between Canadian, American and African scientists. Finally, by continuing a Canadian scientific presence in Zambia and Lake Tanganyika it will serve to strengthen Canada's role as a leader in fish, fisheries and aquatic environmental research.