My research interests are at the interface of evolution, ecology and behavior. One of the major problems in evolutionary biology concerns the evolution of social groups. My research is in several areas involving the evolution of social behavior including the behavioral and genetic prerequisites for group living and the functional consequences of living in groups. The organisms that I use for studies of social behavior are the social insects, particularly the ants. Ants provide thousands of social species, many of which can be kept under controlled laboratory conditions, and manipulated to answer questions about social behavior.
Many of the interesting questions about ants can only be profitably be answered when we have a detailed understanding of how natural selection might operate on a social insect. To begin to do that, we must understand the major factors that are responsible for variation in fitness of social insects. Can we understand the interplay between the environment, other colonies of ants, other species? Much of my work involves field work in western Colorado which is outlined at this site.
Most of my research is focused on the evolutionary ecology of harvester ants. However, for reprints of other papers check here.
If you would like to get in touch, I can be reached at bcole@uh.edu. For people on campus trying to get in touch with me, my office is 321G, Science and Research II.
Cole - Wiernasz Lab 