The Sumner Lab Insect Research Group · UCL

Evolution

The insect world provides us with endless opportunities to learn about the evolutionary processes which create and govern the diversity of life on Earth. In the Sumner Lab we combine genomic, transcriptomic and behavioural approaches to answer big evolutionary questions in a range of insect systems. Some of our current research areas include:

  • The evolution of sociality
  • Cooperation and conflict in social systems
  • Major evolutionary transitions and superorganismality
  • The transition from sociality to social parasitism
  • The evolution of generalist and specialist parasitoid-host relationships
  • The evolution of parental investment strategies

Phylogenetic diversity of Hymenoptera with publicly available genome assemblies. Alex and colleagues are using these data to study the evolution of social traits across bees, wasps and ants.

We are always interested in asking new questions, trying new approaches, and discovering new insect systems.