In the current era of rapid climate change, populations are facing environments in which
food availability can quickly decline or become highly unpredictable. These conditions may …

Most cooperatively breeding birds live in family groups, in which a breeding pair is assisted
by genetically related “helpers” who do not reproduce. In some species, however, several …

Social evolution is tightly linked to dispersal decisions, but the ecological and social factors
selecting for philopatry or dispersal often remain obscure. Elucidating selection mechanisms …

How can the stunning diversity of social systems and behaviours seen in nature be
explained? Drawing on social evolution theory, experimental evidence and studies …

The investigation of prosocial behavior is of particular interest from an evolutionary
perspective. Comparisons of prosociality across non-human animal species have, however …

Although kin selection is assumed to underlie the evolution of sociality, many vertebrates—
including nearly half of all cooperatively breeding birds—form groups that also include …

In many species that raise young in cooperative groups, breeders live an exceptionally long
time despite high investment in offspring production. How is this possible given the expected …

Understanding the major evolutionary transition from solitary individuals to complex
societies is hampered by incomplete insight into the drivers of living in cooperative groups. 1 …

While considerable evidence exists that extreme climate events such as high temperatures
and drought are becoming more common, there is growing recognition that we have limited …

Mechanisms selecting for the evolution of cooperative breeding are hotly debated. While kin
selection theory has been the central paradigm to explain the seemingly altruistic behaviour …