Nearly all forms of multicellularity involve sacrifice: some cells give up their own survival and reproduction to promote the survival and reproduction of the organism as a whole. However, conflicts over individual versus group fitness are apparent. We examine the evolutionary history of cooperation and conflict in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum.

Genome sequences reveal the history of selection acting on a population. Through population genomic analysis, we can learn about the traits and phenotypes that have been important in determining the long-term survival and fitness of a species.

By taking advantage of the short-generation times of microorganisms, we can watch evolution happen before our eyes. Experimental evolution offers a way to test fundamental hypotheses about how evolution proceeds and can identify the genes and pathways that underlie adaptive phenotypes.