Zachary Shaffer

As a behavioral ecologist, Zack Shaffer's research interests range into fields including animal behavior, evolution, and ecology. Of special interest are questions surrounding the evolution of cooperation - especially in the insect societies (ants, honeybees, wasps, and others).

Publications:

Shaffer, Z., Sasaki, T., Pratt, S.  2013 Animal Behaviour.  ‘Linear recruitment leads to allocation and flexibility in collective foraging by ants’.  

​Sasaki, T., Janssen, MA., Shaffer, Z., Pratt, SC  2016 Current Zoology ‘Exploration of unpredictable environments by networked groups’

​Sasaki, T., Penick, C., Shaffer, Z., Haight, K., Pratt, S., Leibig, J., 2016 American Naturalist.  ‘A simple and general model of dominance hierarchy formation’.

Shaffer, Z, Sasaki, T., Haney, B., Janssen, M., Pratt, S., Fewell, J. 2016 Scientific Reports ‘The Foundress’s dilemma: group selection for cooperation among queens of the ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus’

Ostwald, M., Shaffer, Z., Pratt, S., Fewell, J. September 2019 Animal Behaviour, ‘Multimodal cues facilitate nest recognition in carpenter bee aggregations’

​Valentini, G., Masuda, N., Shaffer, Z., Hanson, J., Sasaki, T., Walker, S.I., Pavlic, T.,Pratt, S.  2020 Proceedings of the Royal Society, B. ‘Division of labor promotes the spread of information in colony emigrations by the ant Temnothorax rugatulus.’

Ostwald, M., Lyman, B., Shaffer, Z., Fewell, J.  2020 Insect Sociaux.  ‘Temporal and spatial dynamics of carpenter bee sociality revealed by CT imaging’.

Ostwald, M., Dahan, R.A., Shaffer, Z., Fewell, J. 2021 Frontiers. 'Fluid membership drives variable relatedness in groups of a facultatively social bee'.

Shaffer, Z., Dreyer, S., Clarke, R.M., Pratt, S.C., Fewell, J. 2022 Frontiers. 'Efficient allocation of labor maximizes brood development and explains why intermediate-sized groups perform best during colony-founding in the ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus'.

​Ostwald, M., Fox, T.P., Hillery, W.S., Shaffer, Z., Harrison, J.F., Fewell, J. 2022  Animal Behaviour. 'Group-living carpenter bees conserve heat and body mass better than solitary individuals in winter'.