Hello!

My name is Kaleda, and I am an evolutionary biologist from Vancouver, Canada. I am currently an Omidyar Postdoctoral Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute, where I am exploring the role of non-genetic processes in major evolutionary events. Traditionally, many evolutionary theorists have asked "why did X evolve; what advantages did it provide to organisms in their current environment?" I aim to recast the question to "how did X arise and proliferate even if X was not advantageous?" For example, what developmental, epigenetic, or cultural processes were involved? I am particularly interested in the evolution of social behaviors such as cooperation, cheating, and punishment within different complex systems, including cells, multicellular organisms, eusocial groups, and human societies.

Click the links at the top right to learn more!