Sociobiology

Catalog description

Life is social. From quorum sensing bacteria blocking up urinary catheters to the seemingly poetic integration of millions of bodies during an army ant raid. And of course there are humans; that singularly unique species once described as the 'paragon of animals'. Whether the group is bacteria, worms, ants or humans selection has resulted in precise rules that govern interactions and maintain stability. Understanding these rules is the field of sociobiology and we can even see such rules at play among the inorganic realm as researchers select for social robots. In this course we explore sociobiology through stories of adaptation that will challenge you to pinpoint where and how selection is acting. We will deal with the well known topics of natural, sexual and artificial selection as well as less precisely understand topics of kin and group selection. Many of the stories in this course bring us to the exciting front line of research where acrimonious debates are waging. Because systems are often best understood when they are broken we will also tell stories of parasites and cheaters that destroy social cohesion. We will learn of such fascinating diseases as zombie ant fungi that manipulate ant behavior to the protozoans in your brain that affect your ability to drive. In societies the response to diseases is often collective and similar defenses can be seen across widely different groups so we will hear stories of how both social insects and humans have evolved adaptive architecture to reduce disease spread. We will also ask where we humans are going? To address this question the course will focus on our past and our many inventions from agriculture to cities. We will ask how our adaptations parallel those of other organisms and how they diverge. Finally, we will tie this back to Penn State's mission as a Land Grant School and how social behavior is important in practical and applied science delivered to the masses.