#493 Tim Clutton-Brock: The Evolution of Sociality, and Mammal Societies
RECORDED ON MARCH 3rd 2021.
Dr. Tim Clutton-Brock is Professor in the Department of Zoology at Cambridge University. He is known for his comparative studies of the behavioral ecology of mammals, particularly red deer and meerkats. He currently works in three main areas: The evolution of vertebrate breeding systems; Population regulation and the control of population stability in large mammals; Natural and sexual selection in natural populations.
In this episode, we talk about mammal societies. First, we discuss when societies started in evolution, and how to understand sociality from an evolutionary perspective. We refer to the costs and benefits of being a social species. We talk about group selection. We explore different aspects of mammal sociality, including mating and reproduction, cooperative breeding, philopatry, social organization, and sexual division of labor. We also talk about variation in population density, and how it affects natural and sexual selection. Finally, we discuss what is distinctive about primate and human societies.
Time Links:
Intro
When did societies start?
On group selection
Mammal societies
Primates
Humans and culture
Follow Dr. Clutton-Brock’s work!
Follow Dr. Clutton-Brock’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/383Zg7r
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3e2YnPE
Meerkat Manor (series): http://imdb.to/3uQPjDK ; First episode: https://bit.ly/3kSylAl
Amazon page: https://amzn.to/2NOP7UV
Mammal Societies: https://amzn.to/34U5btC