The evolution of social and sexual behaviour: conflict and cooperation

There is often intense competition amongst members of the same sex for access to mates and other reproductive resources. Such interactions lead to the evolution of diverse and extravagant traits and adaptations, such as weaponry and vibrant ornamentation. Typically, males are considered to be the sex that competes whereas females are passive or choosy. However, female competition, and even aggression, is widespread throughout the animal kingdom, and has direct influences on the fitness and reproductive success of the female. Intense male-male competition for mates can also lead to mate harm which results in sexual conflict. Previous attempts to explain the evolution of sexual interactions have typically only been considered from the individual's perspective - by assessing the direct costs and benefits to the reproductive success of the mating pair. However, individuals are expected to maximise their inclusive fitness - incorporating the fact that individuals can pass shared genes onto the next generation by aiding the reproductive success of their relatives. We will attempt to understand how interactions between relatives can influence sexual conflict and intra-sexual competition. Female-female competition has historically been overlooked and we will attempt to study its evolution by applying an inclusive fitness approach. We will also attempt to bridge a discord between theory and previous empirical research, by studying population viscosity as a driver of reduced sexual conflict. Finally, animals are constantly faced with varying social and ecological conditions and must repeatedly make optimal decisions based on the information available. Vibrational communication is extremely widespread - from elephants to nematode worms - and is believed to be the primary and ancestral form of communication in insects. Yet because it is not a prominent human sensory modality it has been largely overlooked by researchers. We hope to better understand the mechanisms driving sexual and social behaviours by considering the role of vibrations.

Key BBSRC Priority Areas: Understanding the rules of life / Transformative technologies / Bioscience for sustainable agriculture and food