“Survival of the fittest” is synonymous with adaptive evolution. This catchy phrase suggests that all individuals within a population become identical over time by developing “THE fittest” heritable traits. Yet, in nature, we observe many differences between individuals. For example, sticklebacks (tiny fish) in the... click to read more

As evolutionary biologists, one of our major objectives is to understand how competition for resources regulates the appearance and extinction of species and can lead to the increase or decline of entire groups of species. This is particularly difficult to study because each group has... click to read more

When engaged in a conflict with another, many animals will behave aggressively. We see it in dogs at the dog park, in fish in a fish tanks, in people with bullies at school, and even flies at a garbage bin. However, precisely what motivates an... click to read more

Sex changes us. In addition to the overwhelming Puberty-Blues kind of way, sex induces physical changes that occur across the entire animal kingdom, from elephants to fruit flies. Yet, there's one glaring aspect of sex that few scientists have studied - female aggression. That's where... click to read more