This talk was absolutely fascinating, in that it elucidated how molecular mechanisms can control complex social behaviors. Firstly, I was impressed by the use of bee’s as a model system, and can’t imagine what it would be like to work with such insects (I’m fine with mice). With regards to the evolutionary development of bees and their behaviors, I was taken aback by their behavior, as upon consideration, it does seem odd that these bees are genetically similar, but have extremely different phenotypic traits – looking at how this developed evolutionary is definitely an interesting question as to how it arose. The scenario where the queen bee dies, and worker bees end up being able to lay eggs was also surprising, as I had never known that. Now, the most surprising thing was how the reproductive organs (the ovaries) control so much of this complex behavior. Sometimes, I wonder if the same is not true for humans..
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