Ben J Hatchwell

Biography

BA (1984) University of Oxford PhD (1988) University of Sheffield Post-doc, University of Cambridge (1988-90) Post-doc, University of Oxford (1991-93) Lecturer in Zoology, University of Sheffield (1993-2002) Senior Lecturer in Zoology, University of Sheffield (2002-04) Reader, University of Sheffield (2004-06) Professor of Evolutionary Ecology (2007-present)

Research Interest

My principal research interest is in social evolution and reproductive strategies. My main approach is to use field observations and experiments to test evolutionary theory. Specific research interests and achievements include: The ecological factors that promote the evolution of animal societies The influence of individual dispersal decisions on the genetic structure of populations and the consequences for cooperative behaviour The alternative reproductive strategies of individuals in cooperative groups and their fitness consequences Mechanisms of kin recognition in social animals Proximate and ultimate causes of variation in parental investment I am also interested in avian population ecology, including long-term studies of seabirds and the ecology of urban bird populations. Specific areas of interest include: The population dynamics of guillemots using CMR analysis of individually marked birds The factors determining the size and permanence of bird populations in the urban environment The relationship between urban and rural bird populations