Dr. Elizabeth Tibbetts

Biography

Elizabeth Tibbetts is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. She earned her Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell University in 2003. Her academic trajectory includes a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona's Center for Insect Science from 2003 to 2005. Tibbetts specializes in behavioral evolution, investigating how communication systems and social behaviors coevolve and influence animal morphology and cognition. Her research primarily focuses on social insects, particularly Polistes paper wasps, including the species Polistes fuscatus and Polistes dominula. Her work addresses significant questions about the evolutionary adaptations of social insects to their environments, exploring why certain animals exhibit bright colors and how these traits assist in their social interactions and communication. Through her research, Tibbetts seeks to enhance the understanding of the cognitive aspects of social behavior in these species.

Research Interests