Supergene, sex and sociality

Divergence and Functional Degradation of a Sex Chromosome-like Supergene

A major challenge in biology is to understand the genetic basis of adaptation. One compelling idea is that groups of tightly linked genes (i.e., "supergenes" [1, 2]) facilitate adaptation in suites of traits that determine fitness. Despite their likely importance, little is known about how alternate supergene alleles arise and become differentiated, nor their ultimate fate within species. Herei...

Spatial learning and memory in African mole-rats: the role of sociality and sex.

Spatial learning and memory is an important skill for the survival and fitness and may vary between the sexes depending on differences in space use. This is particularly true for animals that explore the subterranean niche as it is associated with high travelling costs. In subterranean rodents the complexity of burrow systems varies with differing degrees of sociality possibly posing stronger s...

Network Analysis in sociality

Agents and Sociality

Since the beginning of multiagent systems research, it has been argued that theories from the realm of the social sciences can be of help for building multiagent systems, and to some extent vice versa. This study sketches the concepts necessary for agents based on social theories. These theories include theories on decision making, various ra-tionality and action models, and the role and modeli...

Sociality, Evolution and Cognition

Variations in brain size and proportions can be linked to the cognitive capacities of different animal species, and correlations with ecology may give clues to the evolutionary origins of these specializations. Much recent evidence has implicated the social domain as a major challenge driving increases in problem-solving abilities of mammals. However, the methods of measurement available to res...