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OverviewOur understanding of life is being transformed by the realization that evolution occurs not only among individuals within populations, but also through the integration of groups of individuals into new higher-level individuals. Indeed, the major landmarks in the diversification of life and the hierarchical organization of the living world are consequences of a series of evolutionary transitions in individuality: from genes to gene networks to the first cell, from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells, from cells to multicellular organisms, from asexual to sexual populations, and from solitary to social organisms. We are interested in understanding the diversity of life by understanding the evolution of interactions among individuals and how these interactions may create new kinds of evolutionary individuals. We are especially interested in cooperation and conflict during the origin of multicellularity and the evolution of sex. We are interested in the consequences of sex in terms of coping with genetic error (mutation and damage), and how sex affects evolutionary transitions in individuality. The methods used in our work involve mathematical and computer models, experiments with micro-organisms, and philosophical analysis. Our ongoing experimental work concerns the evolution of cooperation, multicellularity and sex in volvocine green algae. We are grateful for the support of the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Health. More information is contained in the list of publications (PDF files of recent papers are available for download there) and grants or in articles and media coverage of my work. Click on Graduate Work for information on our lab and students. See "Web Talks" link at the top of page for research talks put on the web. Click below for a more in depth description of our current research interests including recent work on the evolution of multicellularity, cooperation, and sex in the Volvocales (volvocine green algae).
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