Retracing the Early Evolution of Metazoa using Novel Methods and Strategies. Metazoa is one of the best-characterised groups of species in terms of its morphology, fossil record, development, and genetic make-up, but the phylogeny remains obscure because the fossil record is incomplete and because molecular phylogenetic methods have not yet been developed with the complexity of genomic data in mind. We will develop methods and strategies for the analysis of whole genomes, and use them in studies ....Retracing the Early Evolution of Metazoa using Novel Methods and Strategies. Metazoa is one of the best-characterised groups of species in terms of its morphology, fossil record, development, and genetic make-up, but the phylogeny remains obscure because the fossil record is incomplete and because molecular phylogenetic methods have not yet been developed with the complexity of genomic data in mind. We will develop methods and strategies for the analysis of whole genomes, and use them in studies of the mitochondrial genome. We will infer the animal phylogeny, and use it to chart the evolution of animal morphology and development, and the evolution of mitochondrial genetic codes, gene order, and nucleotide content.Read moreRead less
House hunting honey bees: speed-accuracy trade-offs in collective decision-making. This project will uncover the mechanisms that underlie the trade-off between speed and accuracy in collective decision-making. We will study two species of honey bee that differ in the relative importance of speed and accuracy when deciding on a new home. Natural selection has shaped the decision-making process differently in the two species, one favouring speed, the other accuracy. We will use the natural wisdom ....House hunting honey bees: speed-accuracy trade-offs in collective decision-making. This project will uncover the mechanisms that underlie the trade-off between speed and accuracy in collective decision-making. We will study two species of honey bee that differ in the relative importance of speed and accuracy when deciding on a new home. Natural selection has shaped the decision-making process differently in the two species, one favouring speed, the other accuracy. We will use the natural wisdom evolved by the bees to design new mathematical models of collective decision-making. These can be applied to create efficient decision-making tools that will be useful for any large organization.Read moreRead less