David C. Queller

David C. Queller is a leading evolutionary biologist at Rice University in Houston, Texas. His work focuses on both theoretical and empirical aspects of the evolution of social interactions, including both sexual selection and kin selection. Recent theoretical studies have focused on generalizing inclusive fitness theory, the role of relatedness in viscous populations, and the importance of demographic advantages in the evolution of sociality in insects. He has also worked to develop methods for estimating genetic relatedness using genetic markers and this work led to an extensive collaboration with Joan E. Strassmann on the importance of genetic relatedness in the evolution of social insects. They use DNA microsatellite markers to study altruism and conflict in both social insects and cellular slime molds.

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Publications include:

Queller, D.C. & Strassmann, J. E., 2002. The many selves of social insects. Science 296:311-313.

Queller, D. C. and J. E. Strassmann, "Kin selection and social insects," Bioscience, 48 (1998), 165-175.

Hastings, M. D., D. C. Queller, F. Eischen and J. E. Strassmann, "Kin selection, relatedness and worker control of reproduction in a large-colony epiponine wasp, Brachygastra mellifica," Behavioral Ecology, 9 (1998), 573-581.

Peters, J. M., D. C. Queller, V. L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, D. W. Roubik and J. E. Strassmann, "Mate number, kin selection, and social conflicts in stingless bees and honey bees," Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: Series B, 266 (1999), 379-384.

Queller, D.C., "Why do females care more than males?," Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, 264 (1997), 1555-1557.

Queller, D.C., J.E.Strassmann, C.R.Solís, C.R. Hughes and D.M. DeLoach, "A selfish strategy of social insect workers that promotes social cohesion," Nature, 365 (1993), 639-641.

Queller, D. C., J.M. Peter, C. R. Solís, & J. E. Strassmann, "Control of reproduction in social insect colonies: individual and collective relatedness preferences in the paper wasp, Polistes annularis," Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 40 (1997), 3-16.

Queller, D. C., "Extended parental care and the origin of eusociality," Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, 256 (1994), 105-111.

Queller, D. C., "Male-female conflict and parent-offspring conflict," American Naturalist, 144 (1994), S84-S99.

Queller, D. C., "The measurement and meaning of inclusive fitness," Animal Behaviour, 51 (1996), 229-232.

Goodnight, K.F. and D. C. Queller, "Computer software for performing likelihood tests of pedigree relationship using genetic markers," Molecular Ecology, 8 (1999), 1231-1234.

Queller, D. C., "The origin and maintenance of eusociality: the advantage of extended parental care," ed. by S. Turillazzi and M. J. West-Eberhard, Oxford University Press. In: Natural History and Evolution of Paper Wasps (1996), 218-234.

Queller, D. C., Zacchi, F., Cervo, R., Turillazzi, S., Henshaw, M. T., Santorelli, L. A., and Strassmann, J.E., "Unrelated helpers in a social insect," Nature, 405 (2000), 784-787.