The Well-Connected Animal: Social Networks and the Wondrous Complexity of Animal Societies
Presenter: Dr. Lee Dugatkin
Dr. Dugatkin will present on his latest (May 2024) book, The Well-Connected Animal, which has received high praise from both scientific and mainstream press.
In this tour of the animal kingdom, Dr. Dugatkin reveals a new field of study, uncovering social networks that existed long before the dawn of human social media. He accessibly describes the latest findings from animal behavior, evolution, computer science, psychology, anthropology, genetics, and neurobiology, and incorporates interviews and insights from researchers he finds swimming with manta rays, avoiding pigeon poop, and stopping monkeys from stealing iPads. With Dugatkin as our guide, we investigate social networks in giraffes, elephants, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, whales, bats, and more. From animal networks in Australia and Asia to Africa, Europe, and the Americas, The Well-Connected Animal is an eye-opening exposé of wild friends, enemies, and everything in between. — The University of Chicago Press book description.
Bio: Dr. Dugatkin is an animal behaviorist and a historian of science in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisville. He has lectured about his research and books at more than 175 venues around the world, including in New Zealand, Australia, Mongolia, Cuba, Russia, Romania, Turkey, The Czech Republic, Croatia, Taiwan, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and many other countries. Dr. Dugatkin is the author of sixteen books and more than 200 articles, in such journals as Nature, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and The Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. He is also a contributing author to Scientific American and The Washington Post. The Wall Street Journal describes Dr. Dugatkin's latest book, The Well-Connected Animal: Social Networks and the Wondrous Complexity of Animal Societies as one which "Combines accessible prose with solid science..." with the reviewer noting, "Reader, I connected with this book and I think there’s a good chance you will, too."