PD Dr. Eva Schultner

Ecology - Evolution – Development

Living organisms encounter huge variation in their environment, from changes in abiotic factors like temperature and humidity to variation in biotic factors like resource availability and social group dynamics. I want to understand how environment – and especially social environment – influences individual development and modulates evolution of complex traits.

I use ants as models because they exhibit extreme levels of developmental plasticity, which for instance allows a female egg to develop into either a reproductive queen or a sterile worker depending on the environment experienced during development. With over 15,000 described species, ants are one of the most diverse animal groups on earth and their societies offer the unique opportunity to study a major transition in evolution.