Last updated 22 August 2008
© 2008 Dustin Rubenstein

What We Do

Nesting colonies of gulls on the Pacific coast; herds of wildebeest winding through the Serengeti; schools of fish evading diving seabirds; many animals live in large groups of unrelated individuals. However, some species of animals—including humans—live in extended family groups of relatives: brothers and sisters form giant swarms of bees; naked mole rats live exclusively with close relatives; grandparents stop breeding to help raise their grandoffspring in cooperatively breeding birds.

We study both the causes and consequences of family-living in animals. That is, why do family groups form and what are the social, genetic, evolutionary, and physiological consequences of living in complex societies. We ask a variety of questions like:

1. •Why do some species form complex societies, whereas other closely related ones do not?
   

2. •Why are shrimp societies like those of birds?  And why are they different?
   

3. •Why do some individuals attempt to breed, whereas others delay independent breeding to help raise others’ offspring?
   

4. •How do hormones drive these and other reproductive decisions?
   

5. •Why do animals cheat on their mates?
   

6. •Why do mothers manipulate the sex of their offspring and overproduce females at some times and males at other times?
   

7. •How do animals cope physiologically with unpredictable environments?
   

8. •How do animals regulate their stress physiology and immune responses in tropical climates and in different types of habitats and environments?

Rubenstein Lab

Behavioral & Evolutionary Ecology