Our group is mainly interested in the evolution of reproductive strategies and we try to combine theoretical and empirical studies. Most of our work has been on bees, hermaphrodites, fig trees and various species of fig wasps, but recently, humans, baboons and bacteriophages have also been added to the tally. We try to understand variation in sex allocation, male mating-strategies, levels of altruism, mate choice, adaptability and co-speciation. How much of this variation can be explained by optimal reactions to varying conditions and how much is simply maladaptive noise? From a theoretical perspective we try to frame the problems in a life history/game theory/kin selection context and in empirical studies we do a fair amount of sequencing (for drawing up phylogenies for comparative studies), microsatellite development (to test relatedness and population structure), behavioural observations and just good old counting of wasps, galls, eggs and seeds.

Projects

• Evolution of alternative mating strategies
   
• Dispersal and fighting in the males of pollinating fig wasps
   
• Individual sex ratio variation in pollinating fig wasps
   
• Oviposition strategies of females with dimorphic males
   
• Coevolution of inbreeding depression and mating systems
   
• Kruger National Park Ficus sycomorus pollination project
   
• Epidemiology of Spirocerca lupi
   
• Afrikaner ancestry
   
• Baboon Grooming