Zoology: MEG - Hazel Nichols

Dr Hazel Nichols

Email: hn244@cam.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1223 762934

Career

2009- NERC Funded Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Cambridge

2005-2009 BBSRC Funded PhD in Zoology, University of Cambridge

2004-2005 Research Assistant, University of Sheffield

2001-2004 BSc in Biology, 1st Class Honours, University of Sheffield

Research

My research interests centre on the evolution of cooperative animal societies. In particular, I seek to understand the causes of conflict within societies, how conflicts are resolved, and the impact this has at an individual and population-wide level. My current research uses both behavioural and genetic data to investigate cooperation and conflict in the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), a cooperatively breeding mammal living in sub-Saharan Africa.

Reproductive skew

In many cooperatively breeding species, reproductive success is monopolised by a few ‘dominant’ individuals, while other group members are restricted to caring for the dominants’ offspring. Conflict over access to breeding positions often occurs and can have serious consequences, resulting in eviction, abortion, infanticide and injury. I am interested in the way in which conflict over reproduction is resolved and how conflict differs between the sexes. For example males can monopolise reproduction by guarding receptive females during oestrus and individuals of both sexes can evict competitors from their group. I am also interested in how the behaviour of one sex influences reproductive skew in the other sex. For example, males may force copulations or females may mate promiscuously.

Contributions to offspring care

A research assistant weighs an infant mongoose, using a small amount of milk as a reward

A conspicuous feature of cooperatively breeding vertebrate societies is the high level of variation between group members in contributions to offspring care. Why do some group members help more than others? The most well-established explanation is based on kin selection theory, which suggests that differences in helper investment result from variation in both the costs of providing help and the indirect benefits gained from helping. However, more recent explanations have highlighted the role of direct fitness benefits in governing investments in care. I am currently investigating how the costs and benefits of care interact to determine patterns of helping behavior in the banded mongoose.

Inbreeding and relatedness

Unusually for cooperatively breeding species, banded mongooses of both sexes breed in their natal groups, leading to a situation where incest may be common. I am working to investigate the frequency of inbreeding within groups, and whether individuals are able to avoid inbreeding by choosing unrelated mates from within their groups, or by mating with individuals from rival groups.

Publications

A young banded mongoose resting after playing on discarded fishing boats

H.J. Nichols, W. Amos, M.B.V. Bell, F. Mwanguhya, S. Kyabulima & M.A. Cant, 2012. In Press Food availability shapes patterns of helping effort in a cooperative mongoose. Animal Behaviour.
H.J. Nichols, M.B.V. Bell, S.J Hodge & M.A. Cant. In Press Resource limitation moderates the adaptive suppression of subordinate breeding in a cooperative mongoose. Behavioral Ecology. PDF
J.I. Hoffman & H.J. Nichols, 2011. A novel approach for mining polymorphic microsatellite markers in silico. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23283. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0023283. PDF
M.B.V. Bell, H.J. Nichols, M.A.Cant & S.J Hodge, 2011. The cost of dominance: suppressing subordinate reproduction affects the reproductive success of dominant female banded mongooses. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B. Online early doi: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1093. PDF
H.J. Nichols, W. Amos, M. A. Cant, M.B.V. Bell & S.J Hodge, 2010. Top males gain high reproductive success by guarding more successful females in a cooperatively breeding mongoose. Animal Behaviour, 80, 649-657. PDF
M.A. Cant, S.J. Hodge, J.S. Gilchrist, M.B.V. Bell & H.J. Nichols, 2010. Reproductive control via eviction (but not the threat of eviction) in banded mongooses. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, 277, 2219-2226. PDF
J.I. Hoffman, K. Dasmahapatra & H.J. Nichols, 2008. Ten novel polymorphic dinucleotide microsatellite loci cloned from the Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella. Molecular Ecology Notes, 8, 459-461. PDF