Ecology and Evolution of Social Complexity in Lizards
Our main study species lives in family groups. Geoff has shown that the composition and stability of these groups are dictated by both the genetic structure of the population and the ecological conditions. Together these factors shape selection on a suite of characters that are important for understanding the transition to social life.
While family life remains simple in lizards, there are more evolutionary transitions to family groups in lizards than in birds and mammals. Even within the Egernia, species differ in their social systems, ranging from solitary species to those that live in large groups with several overlapping generations. This makes it possible to reconstruct the steps towards social complexity, unravelling how social systems originate and are maintained. Across lizards and snakes, it turns out that live bearing facilitates transitions to sociality, presumably because it promotes interactions between close relatives.
If you want to know more
Halliwell, B., Uller, T., Holland, B.R. & While, G.M. 2017. Live bearing promotes the evolution of sociality in reptiles. Nature Communications 2030
While, G.M., Chapple, D.G., Gardner, M.G., Uller, T. & Whiting, M.J. 2015. Egernia lizards. Current Biology 25:R593-595
While, G.M., Uller, T., Bordogna, G. & Wapstra, E. 2014. Promiscuity resolves constraints imposed by population viscosity. Molecular Ecology 23: 721-732