NEWS

Work by Dr Ashley Ward has revealed the importance of quorum responses in the collective movement decisions of fishes. The research published in PNAS has shown that fish can make accurate decisions about when to follow group behaviour, by responding only when they see a threshold number of fellow group members performing that behaviour.

Prof Ian Hume and Prof Rick Shine presented their research at The Australian Academy of Science's peak annual event, Science at the Shine Dome on May 7. Prof Hume's findings of how changes in atmospheric CO2 are affecting koalas, and Prof Shine's proposal of novel methods to reduce the impact of cane toads both appeared in numerous newspapers including the Sydney Morning Herald.

Ben Oldroyd and Madeleine Beekman just published a paper in PLoS Biology in which they investigate the link between reproductive potential and foraging behaviour in honey bee workers. Their study casts doubt on recent theories about the link between reproductive potential and foraging in honey bees.

Three-spine Stickleback Gasterostreus aculeatus. Photo: Dr Asley Ward	Phascolarctos cinereus Photo:Kaye Placing	Apis Mellifera Photo:Kaye Placing