Diet and brain evolution

Frank Azorsa

Theories of brain evolution hypothesize that brain size and structure are correlated with large group size, which increases the cognitive challenges of social life.  Alternatively, changes in diet may influence brain evolution. I comparatively study ponerine ants, a clad in which the effects of diet and group size can be separated. I examine how changes in predatory ecology in ponerine ant species that differ in colony size and either hunt in groups or solitarily are related to brain size, compartmental scaling, and cellular structure. Collateral field and laboratory studies on worker behavior provide insight into its cognitive challenges and thus potential influences on patterns of neuropil investment.