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Zachary Shaffer, PhD

I am a science educator (Assistant Teaching Professor at ASU) and researcher focusing on behavioral ecology, complex systems, and sociobiology (especially of social insects).

Arizona State University School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ
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Publications

Shaffer, Z., Sasaki, T., Pratt, S.  2013 Animal Behaviour.  ‘Linear recruitment leads to allocation and flexibility in collective foraging by ants’.  

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Sasaki, T., Janssen, MA., Shaffer, Z., Pratt, SC  2016 Current Zoology ‘Exploration of unpredictable environments by networked groups’

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Sasaki, T., Penick, C., Shaffer, Z., Haight, K., Pratt, S., Leibig, J., 2016 American Naturalist.  ‘A simple and general model of dominance hierarchy formation’.

*Covered by Discovery Magazine

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Shaffer, Z, Sasaki, T., Haney, B., Janssen, M., Pratt, S., Fewell, J. 2016 Scientific Reports ‘The Foundress’s dilemma: group selection for cooperation among queens of the ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus’

*YouTube video

*Popular science summary article in This View of Life 'Cooperation Trumps Selfishness in the Foundress's Dilemma'

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Ostwald, M., Shaffer, Z., Pratt, S., Fewell, J. September 2019 Animal Behaviour, ‘Multimodal cues facilitate nest recognition in carpenter bee aggregations’

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Valentini, G., Masuda, N., Shaffer, Z., Hanson, J., Sasaki, T., Walker, S.I., Pavlic, T.,Pratt, S.  2020 Proceedings of the Royal Society, B. ‘Division of labor promotes the spread of information in colony emigrations by the ant Temnothorax rugatulus.’

*Covered by ASU Now

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Ostwald, M., Lyman, B., Shaffer, Z., Fewell, J.  2020 Insect Sociaux.  ‘Temporal and spatial dynamics of carpenter bee sociality revealed by CT imaging’.

*YouTube video

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Ostwald, M., Dahan, R.A., Shaffer, Z., Fewell, J. 2021 Frontiers. 'Fluid membership drives variable relatedness in groups of a facultatively social bee'.

 

Shaffer, Z., Dreyer, S., Clarke, R.M., Pratt, S.C., Fewell, J. 2022 Frontiers. 'Efficient allocation of labor maximizes brood development and explains why intermediate-sized groups perform best during colony-founding in the ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus'.

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Ostwald, M., Fox, T.P., Hillery, W.S., Shaffer, Z., Harrison, J.F., Fewell, J. 2022  Animal Behaviour. 'Group-living carpenter bees conserve heat and body mass better than solitary individuals in winter'.

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Teaching

A love for science and teaching is at the heart of my career with teaching experience ranging from elementary school to the university level.

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