What you'll learn
- know who the social insects are, and what makes them unique.
- understand why the evolution of the social insects is difficult to explain.
- understand the basics of kin selection theory and the theory of inclusive fitness, and why it helps explain the origins of the social insects.
- understand what the superorganism idea is, and why it presents an alternative explanation for the evolution of insect sociality
- understand how the peculiar patterns of sex determination among the bees, ants and wasps predisposes these groups to sociaility.
Requirements
- A basic knowledge of biology (e.g. an introductory biology course)
- A basic knowledge of genetics
Description
The social insects include the bees, ants, wasps and termites. They are called social because they assemble into large colonies of sterile workers that support the excessive reproduction of a relative, usually a parent. These insects present a conundrum, because their form of sociality involves foregoing reproduction to aid the reproduction of another: what is known as reproductive altruism. Because our theories of evolution are based upon successful reproduction, this is a puzzle. You will learn how scientists think they have solved the puzzle, and you will learn a lot of fascinating stuff about these insects along the way.
Who this course is for:
- Undergraduate students looking for an introduction to the social insects.
- Anyone who works with social insects, like beekeepers or pest managers.
Instructor
- 4.6 Instructor Rating
- 346 Reviews
- 1,366 Students
- 12 Courses
I am a Professor of Biology at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York.
I am a physiologist by training but with a deep interest in the interface of physiology, ecology, adaptation and evolution. You can read some of my thoughts in two books I have published: The Extended Organism: The Physiology of Animal-Built Structures (2000) and The Tinkerer's Accomplice: How Design Emerges from Life Itself (2007), both published by Harvard University Press. I have completed a third book, Purpose and Desire: What Makes Something Alive and Why Modern Darwinisms Fails to Explain It, which was published in September 2017 by HarperOne. You can find out more about me at my web site (link above).
My current research focuses on the problem of emergent physiology in social insect colonies. specifically the mound building termites of southern Africa.