Life on earth has been shaped by several major evolutionary transitions each of which has involved independent replicating units joining together to form a new, more complex life form. For example, transitions to multicellularity, sexual reproduction, group living (societies) and symbiotic existence have all played fundamental roles in the development of life.

Our research focuses on investigating

(1) Why do transitions occur?

(2) How complex life is maintained?

(3) What role do transformations in organismal design play in transitions?

(4) Why do complex systems break down?

This involves a number of more specific projects, click here for more details.

We use a combination of experimental and phylogenetic comparative approaches to study these questions on a variety of systems from cooperative breeding birds, such as ostriches, to multicellular and unicellular green algae, such as Chlamydomonas and Volvox.

For more details on our research click here