News From the Field

The big bad wolf was right; among wasps, bigger eyes evolved the better to see social cues


April 29, 2014

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Some paper wasps have variable facial patterns recognized by their sister wasps, marking either individuals or their strength, much like a karate belt. University of California, Berkeley, postdoctoral fellow Michael Sheehan showed that those wasps with variable facial patterns have developed bigger facets in their compound eyes, and thus better vision, in order to read these social cues. Social communication may also drive evolution of senses in other species.Full Story

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University of California, Berkeley

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