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My approach is explicitly empirical, and my research focuses on the evolutionary causes and consequences of conflict within social groups, with a particular emphasis on the role of communication in mediating conflicts and stabilising cooperation. 

I am interested in three related areas:

i. The resolution of conflict over individual contributions to cooperative behaviours.

ii.  The influence of information exchange between dependent offspring and carers on the allocation of resources within families, and the extent to which offspring strategically exploit information generated by carers.

iii. The causes and consequences of conflict over the distribution of reproduction in social species, and the mechanisms used by competitors to influence the outcome.