Biography:Richard Machalek
 | This biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (January 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
Richard Machalek (born April 12, 1946) is a social theorist, sociobiologist, and professor of sociology.
A student and colleague of sociobiologist E.O. Wilson, Machalek is best known for using traditional sociological frameworks and theories to explain complex social behavior and structures in non-human societies, with a special emphasis on ant populations.
Machalek believes that the bedrock of sociological knowledge lies in explaining social phenomena that are exhibited across many different types of species. Machalek also applies knowledge from the fields of evolutionary theory, zoology, and biology and is especially concerned with the trans-species social behaviors of cheating, cooperation, and division of labor, among others.
Besides teaching at a number of universities, in 1986 he was a visiting professor at Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology under the tutelage of E.O. Wilson. He was a visiting professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, conducted research on fruit bats (Chiroptera) in Queensland, Australia, and has served in the board of many journals and professional societies.
His research spans a wide array of topics. He is emeritus faculty of sociology at the University of Wyoming.
See also
- E.O. Wilson
- Sociobiology
- Evolutionary psychology
 |  |
