Dieter Lukas

My research reveals the causes and consequences of sociality

Here are some of the projects I am currently involved in. Contact me in case you are interested in developing a project to apply for funding. For more on the vision and code of conduct of my research team please see the pages of the Comparative Behavioural Ecology group.

Sharing and reproduction Across animals, risks and resource availability in the environment influence the timing and investment in reproduction. We are interested whether in humans transfer of resources might mean that reproduction is more shaped by the social than the ecological environment. With Pablo Jose Varas Enriquez
Dominance interactions Competition between individuals is a fundamental aspect of the evolution of mammalian societies. Is it beneficial for individuals to rank above others of the same sex? With Elise Huchard, Oliver Höner, and Marie Charpentier. And when would we expect that individuals of one sex have more power than individuals of the opposite sex. With Elise Huchard, Peter Kappeler, Claudia Fichtel, and Nikos Smit.
Behaviour and expansion I am a collaborator on the great-tailed grackle project. This project investigates whether behaviour plays a role in their adaption to new environments. My particular focus is on understanding the mating and dispersal behaviour across their expansion range. With Corina Logan.
Kinship and behaviour Human and non-human societies differ in how closely individuals are related and whether families stay together. This project investigates whether kin composition influences interactions within groups.