Monash University ornithologists have shed light on the intricate relationship between social structure, environmental conditions, and cooperative behavior in superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus).
Climate change and biodiversity loss are arguably the greatest environmental challenges the world faces. The way we use land is crucial in finding solutions to these problems. In theory, actions such as revegetation and avoiding ...
When faced with uncertainty, we often look for predictions by experts: from election result forecasts, to the likely outcomes of medical treatment. In nature conservation, we turn to expert opinion to assess extinction risk, ...
Superb fairy wrens are more likely to take risks to help members of their close social circle, according to an international team of researchers including scientists from Monash University and The Australian National University ...
Multilevel societies are among the most complex societies known in nature. They are organized like Russian nesting dolls—individuals belong to family groups, which belong to clans, which belong to tribes.
Contrary to their pretty name and appearance, some Australian superb fairy-wrens can be "aggressive" in the wild—which may be important for their survival.
Spring is nearing and birds will soon start nesting in trees in backyards across Australia. The trees in our garden are now 40 years old—not old by tree standards, but old enough to be among the tallest in our suburb, offering ...
Darwinian evolution is the process by which natural selection promotes genetic changes in traits that favor survival and reproduction of individuals. How fast evolution happens depends crucially on the abundance of its "fuel": ...
Rural landscapes are changing in southern Australia. Thanks to landholders, community volunteers and Landcare groups, farms are increasingly home to corridors of trees and shrubs along creeks, and paddocks bordered by trees.
One mystery many biologists want to solve is how complexity develops in nature. And among the many social systems in the natural world, multilevel societies stand out for their complexity. Individuals first organize into ...
