Eva Toth
Publications
Publications by Eva Toth in STRI Bibliography
Research Interests
Behavioral ecology and evolution, in particular: resolution of conflicts of interest in social colonies, evolution of sociality
Current Research
My research at STRI focuses on comparing shrimp with other social terrestrial animals, and finding an answer for how sociality in social shrimp evolved and is maintained. Social shrimp are the only known aquatic animals that are "eusocial" and thus contain several generations, have reproductive division of labor, and cooperative brood care and like e.g. ants, bees, termites, aphids and mole rats. Because these shrimp live under different environmental pressures than other eusocial animals, the study of eusocial shrimp can help in the search of fundamental factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of sociality in all social animals. Eusocial shrimp live inside sponges that provide them with food and shelter. Because of their cryptic life style, not much is known about their general ecology and life history, thus hampering more specialized research. I employ complementary genetic, behavioral and ecological approaches to assess what factors are
the most important in fostering social evolution in this specious and socially diverse genus.
Education and Degrees
Selected Bibliography
Tóth E & Duffy JE. (2005) Coordinated group response to nest intruders in social shrimp. Biology Letters, Royal Society of London. DOI:10.1098.
Tóth E, Queller DC, Dollin A & Strassmann JE. (2004) Conflict over male parentage in stingless bees, review paper, Insectes Sociaux. 51 (1) 1-11.
Tóth E, Strassmann JE, Imperatriz Fonseca VL & Queller DC. (2003) Queens, not the workers produce the males in the stingless bee Schwarziana quadripunctata. Animal Behaviour. 66:359-368.
Tóth E, Queller DC, Imperatriz Fonseca VL & Strassmann JE (2002) Behavioral manifestations of genetic conflict between the workers and the queens in the stingless bee Paratrigona subnuda. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 53:1-8.
Tóth E, Strassmann JE, Nogeira-Neto P, Imperatriz Fonseca VL & Queller DC (2002) Male production in stingless bees: variable outcome of queen- worker conflict. Molecular Ecology. 11:2661-2667.
Biesmeijer JC & Tóth E (1998) Individual foraging, activity level and longevity in the stingless bee Melipona beecheii in Costa Rica (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae) Insectes Sociaux. 45:427-443.