The Ecological and Evolutionary Drivers of Sociality

This Research Topic will focus on the ecological and evolutionary drivers of sociality, examining how environmental pressures (e.g., predation, habitat structure, climate variability) shape the evolution, maintenance, and breakdown of social systems. Contributions may also draw on genetic, physiological, or network-based tools to illuminate these dynamics. For the purpose of this issue, we define 'sociality' as consistent, non-random associations between individuals that involve group living, cooperative behaviors, or structured social roles beyond incidental aggregation. This may include kin-based cooperation, fission-fusion dynamics, communal care, and coordinated foraging or defense. We encourage submissions on diverse taxa, including fishes, amphibians, reptiles (e.g., lizards, snakes), ungulates, rodents, and other underrepresented vertebrate groups, in addition to well-studied birds, primates, and carnivores. Aims:To examine how ecological and evolutionary pressures shape social behavior across animal taxa, emphasizing environmental drivers such as predation risk, habitat structure, resource distribution, and climate variability that influence the emergence, maintenance, and breakdown of social systems. This topic will also welcome studies incorporating behavioral, physiological, and genetic mechanisms—such as kin selection, cooperation, or conflict resolution—as mediators of ecological pressures influencing sociality. We encourage contributions that employ cutting-edge methodologies—such as social network analysis, agent-based modeling, or comparative genomics—to uncover ecological and evolutionary processes shaping social systems.If you are interested in submitting or have any questions please contact the journal email: ethology@frontiersin.org Topic editors: Kausik Banerjee, Dibyendu Mandal Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/72997/the-ecological-and-evolutionary-drivers-of-sociality