The Nature of Societies - Corina Tarnita

In the enormous catalog of innovation that is life-past and present-there are some events that mark major turning points. Examples include the evolution of multicellular organisms from a world dominated by single cells; the evolution of insect sociality culminating in the intricate complexity of ant colonies; and the evolution of social mammals, with human culture at the pinnacle. These rare events, known as major evolutionary transitions, have had a disproportionate impact on the history of life. The three examples listed here are also perhaps nature's most astounding attempts at constructing societies from 'humble' beginnings. By taking a comparative lens to the evolution and organization of societies of cells, insects, and people I will shed light on fundamental similarities and differences and reflect on what keeps some societies together while others break apart.
Corina Tarnita is a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University and a recipient of several major awards, such as the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellowship of the US National Academy of Sciences, or the Sloan Fellowship in Computational and Evolutionary Biology
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