Miriam H. Richards

Biography

Dr. Miriam H. Richards is affiliated to Biological Sciences, Brock University, where Dr. Miriam H. Richards is currently working as Professor. Dr. Miriam H. Richards has authored and co-authored several national and international publications and also working as a reviewer for reputed professional journals. Dr. Miriam H. Richards is having an active association with different societies and academies around the world. Dr. Miriam H. Richards made his mark in the scientific community with the contributions and widely recognition from honourable subject experts around the world. Dr. Miriam H. Richards has received several awards for the contributions to the scientific community. Dr. Miriam H. Richards major research interest involves Sociobiology is the study of the proximate and ultimate causes of sociality in animals. One of the most interesting aspects of animal sociality is the evolution of cooperative behaviour, which is observed in many different kinds of animals, from bees to humans. In extreme cases such as colonial social insects, individuals known as workers or soldiers display a remarkable degree of self-sacrifice in aiding other individuals, foregoing reproduction or even dying to defend the colony. The existence of altruism in insects and other animals, including humans, poses a fascinating evolutionary conundrum: how does reproductive altruism evolve when altruists contribute fewer genes to succeeding generations than do the selfish individuals that they help? Finding answers to this question is the main focus of research in my lab. For several years, we have been carrying out detailed field studies of social bees with widely differing levels of altruistic behaviour. In these studies, we first quantify exactly how helpful supposed altruists are, and then look for clues as to how and why observed levels of altruism and cooperation are maintained in different bee populations and species. Recently, most of our studies have focussed on carpenter bees, especially the large Eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica, and several small carpenter bees in the genus Ceratina..

Research Interest

Sociobiology is the study of the proximate and ultimate causes of sociality in animals. One of the most interesting aspects of animal sociality is the evolution of cooperative behaviour, which is observed in many different kinds of animals, from bees to humans. In extreme cases such as colonial social insects, individuals known as workers or soldiers display a remarkable degree of self-sacrifice in aiding other individuals, foregoing reproduction or even dying to defend the colony. The existence of altruism in insects and other animals, including humans, poses a fascinating evolutionary conundrum: how does reproductive altruism evolve when altruists contribute fewer genes to succeeding generations than do the selfish individuals that they help? Finding answers to this question is the main focus of research in my lab. For several years, we have been carrying out detailed field studies of social bees with widely differing levels of altruistic behaviour. In these studies, we first quantify exactly how helpful supposed altruists are, and then look for clues as to how and why observed levels of altruism and cooperation are maintained in different bee populations and species. Recently, most of our studies have focussed on carpenter bees, especially the large Eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica, and several small carpenter bees in the genus Ceratina.