Professor Emerita Madeleine Beekman
People_

Professor Emerita Madeleine Beekman

Deputy Head of School
Chair of Ecology, Evolution and Environment
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Phone
+61 2 9351 8779
Fax
+61 2 9351 4771
Professor Emerita Madeleine Beekman

I joined the University of Sydney in May 2001 after having been a postdoc at the University of Sheffield (UK). I collaborate extensively with people scattered around the globe and love doing field work.

I am generally interested in evolutionary questions, and social insects are an excellent model system. I also work on a weird organism: the acellular slime mould (Google it!). It is a wonderful organism to address interesting questions.

Currently my research interests can be grouped into five main themes:

  • Conflict and cooperation
  • Evolution of the dance language in the genus Apis
  • Decision-making in decentralised systems
  • Inter- and intragenomic conflict
  • The evolution of cognition

For more information see my research and publication pages.

If you are interested in doing a project, considering joining the lab, or you are just curious, drop by!

Animal behavior and ecophysiology, Ecology and Evolution, Genetics and genomics

Publications

Edited Books

  • Schurch, R., Couvillon, M., Beekman, M. (2016). Ballroom Biology: Recent Insights into Honey Bee Waggle Dance Communications. Lausanne: Frontiers. [More Information]

Book Chapters

  • Beekman, M. (2020). International Union for the Study of Social Insects. In Christopher Starr (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Social Insects, (pp. 1-7). Cham: Springer International Publishing. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M. (2019). Animal Personalities and Behavioral Genetics. In Jae Chun Choe (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior: Second Edition, (pp. 337-339). London: Academic Press. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M. (2019). Animal Personalities and Behavioral Genetics. In Jae Chun Choe (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior: Second Edition, (pp. V2-337). London: Academic Press. [More Information]

Journals

  • Beekman, M. (2024). Busy as a bee—or not? Insectes Sociaux. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M. (2024). To mine or not to mine—asked the Drosophila larva. Insectes Sociaux. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M. (2024). When earlier and fatter is better. Insectes Sociaux. [More Information]

Conferences

  • Diwold, K., Beekman, M., Middendorf, M. (2010). Bee Nest Site Selection as an Optimization Process. Artificial Life XII, Cambridge 2010: MIT Press.
  • Schaerf, T., Makinson, J., Myerscough, M., Beekman, M. (2010). Making a Decision in Spite of the Noise: Nest-Site Selection by Apis Florea. XVI Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects IUSSI 2010, Denmark: International Union for the Study of Social Insects.
  • Meyer, B., Beekman, M., Dussutour, A. (2008). Noise-Induced Adaptive Decision-Making in Ant-Foraging. From Animals to Animats 10: 10th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, Germany: Springer. [More Information]

2024

  • Beekman, M. (2024). Busy as a bee—or not? Insectes Sociaux. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M. (2024). To mine or not to mine—asked the Drosophila larva. Insectes Sociaux. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M. (2024). When earlier and fatter is better. Insectes Sociaux. [More Information]

2023

  • Nagarajan, V., Beekman, M. (2023). G × G × e effect on phenotype expression in a non-conventional model organism, the unicellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum. Biology Letters, 19(2). [More Information]

2022

  • Smith-Ferguson, J., Burnham, T., Beekman, M. (2022). Experience shapes future foraging decisions in a brainless organism. Adaptive Behavior, 30(3), 211-221. [More Information]

2021

  • Norton, A., Remnant, E., Tom, J., Buchmann, G., Blacquiere, T., Beekman, M. (2021). Adaptation to vector-based transmission in a honeybee virus. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90(10), 2254-2267. [More Information]
  • Oldroyd, B., Yagound, B., Allsopp, M., Holmes, M., Buchmann, G., Zayed, A., Beekman, M. (2021). Adaptive, caste-specific changes to recombination rates in a thelytokous honeybee population. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1952), 20210729. [More Information]
  • Gloag, R., Smith, J., Stephens, R., Heard, T., Beekman, M. (2021). Australian stingless bees detect odours left at food sources by nestmates, conspecifics and honey bees. Insectes Sociaux, 68, 151-159. [More Information]

2020

  • Yagound, B., Dogantzis, K., Zayed, A., Lim, J., Broekhuyse, P., Remnant, E., Beekman, M., Allsopp, M., Aamidor, S., Dim, O., Buchmann, G., Oldroyd, B. (2020). A Single Gene Causes Thelytokous Parthenogenesis, the Defining Feature of the Cape Honeybee Apis mellifera capensis. Current Biology, 30(12), 2248-2259.e6. [More Information]
  • Norton, A., Remnant, E., Buchmann, G., Beekman, M. (2020). Accumulation and Competition Amongst Deformed Wing Virus Genotypes in Naïve Australian Honeybees Provides Insight Into the Increasing Global Prevalence of Genotype B. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 1-14. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M. (2020). International Union for the Study of Social Insects. In Christopher Starr (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Social Insects, (pp. 1-7). Cham: Springer International Publishing. [More Information]

2019

  • Beekman, M. (2019). Animal Personalities and Behavioral Genetics. In Jae Chun Choe (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior: Second Edition, (pp. 337-339). London: Academic Press. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M. (2019). Animal Personalities and Behavioral Genetics. In Jae Chun Choe (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior: Second Edition, (pp. V2-337). London: Academic Press. [More Information]
  • Smith-Ferguson, J., Beekman, M. (2019). Can't see the colony for the bees: behavioural perspectives of biological individuality. Biological Reviews, 94, 1935-1946. [More Information]

2018

  • Beekman, M., Oldroyd, B. (2018). Different bees, different needs: how nest-site requirements have shaped the decision-making processes in homeless honeybees (Apis spp.). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 373(1746), 1-9. [More Information]
  • Oldroyd, B., Aamidor, S., Buchmann, G., Allsopp, M., Remnant, E., Kao, F., Reid, R., Beekman, M. (2018). Viable triploid honey bees (apis mellifera capensis) are reliably produced in the progeny of CO2 narcotised queens. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, 8(10), 3357-3366. [More Information]

2017

  • Remnant, E., Shi, M., Buchmann, G., Blacquiere, T., Holmes, E., Beekman, M., Ashe, A. (2017). A Diverse Range of Novel RNA Viruses in Geographically Distinct Honey Bee Populations. Journal of Virology, 91(16), e00158-17. [More Information]
  • Gloag, R., Ding, G., Christie, J., Buchmann, G., Beekman, M., Oldroyd, B. (2017). An invasive social insect overcomes genetic load at the sex locus. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 1(1), 1-6. [More Information]
  • Latty, T., Holmes, M., Makinson, J., Beekman, M. (2017). Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) use adaptable transportation networks to track changes in resource quality. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220, 686-694. [More Information]

2016

  • Schurch, R., Couvillon, M., Beekman, M. (2016). Ballroom Biology: Recent Insights into Honey Bee Waggle Dance Communications. Lausanne: Frontiers. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M., Preece, K., Schaerf, T. (2016). Dancing for their supper: Do honeybees adjust their recruitment dance in response to the protein content of pollen? Insectes Sociaux, 63(1), 117-126. [More Information]
  • Makinson, J., Schaerf, T., Rattanawannee, A., Oldroyd, B., Beekman, M. (2016). How does a swarm of the giant Asian honeybee Apis dorsata reach consensus? A study of the individual behaviour of scout bees. Insectes Sociaux, 63(3), 395-406. [More Information]

2015

  • Cabanes, G., van Wilgenburg, E., Beekman, M., Latty, T. (2015). Ants build transportation networks that optimize cost and efficiency at the expense of robustness. Behavioral Ecology, 26(1), 223-231. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M., Latty, T. (2015). Brainless but Multi-Headed: Decision Making by the Acellular Slime Mould Physarum polycephalum. Journal of Molecular Biology, 427(23), 3734-3743. [More Information]
  • Holmes, M., Tan, K., Wang, Z., Oldroyd, B., Beekman, M. (2015). Genetic reincarnation of workers as queens in the Eastern honeybee Apis cerana. Heredity, 114, 65-68. [More Information]

2014

  • Roth, K., Beekman, M., Allsopp, M., Goudie, F., Wossler, T., Oldroyd, B. (2014). Cheating workers with large activated ovaries avoid risky foraging. Behavioral Ecology, 25(3), 668-674. [More Information]
  • Makinson, J., Schaerf, T., Rattanawannee, A., Oldroyd, B., Beekman, M. (2014). Consensus building in giant Asian honeybee, Apis dorsata, swarms on the move. Animal Behaviour, 93, 191-199. [More Information]
  • Holmes, M., Tan, K., Wang, Z., Oldroyd, B., Beekman, M. (2014). Effect of queen excluders on ovary activation in workers of the Eastern honeybee Apis cerana. Insectes Sociaux, 61(2), 191-196. [More Information]

2013

  • Reid, C., Beekman, M., Latty, T., Dussutour, A. (2013). Amoeboid organism uses extracellular secretions to make smart foraging decisions. Behavioral Ecology, 24(4), 812-818. [More Information]
  • Holmes, M., Oldroyd, B., Duncan, M., Allsopp, M., Beekman, M. (2013). Cheaters sometimes prosper: targeted worker reproduction in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies during swarming. Molecular Ecology, 22(16), 4298-4306. [More Information]
  • Schaerf, T., Makinson, J., Myerscough, M., Beekman, M. (2013). Do small swarms have an advantage when house hunting? The effect of swarm size on nest-site selection by Apis mellifera. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 10(87), 1-10. [More Information]

2012

  • Ramsch, K., Reid, C., Beekman, M., Middendorf, M. (2012). A mathematical model of foraging in a dynamic environment by trail-laying Argentine ants. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 306, 32-45. [More Information]
  • Tan, K., Wang, Z., Yang, M., Fuchs, S., Luo, L., Zhang, Z., Li, H., Zhuang, D., Yang, S., Tautz, J., Beekman, M., Oldroyd, B. (2012). Asian hive bees, Apis cerana, modulate dance communication in response to nectar toxicity and demand. Animal Behaviour, 84(6), 1589-1594. [More Information]
  • Goudie, F., Allsopp, M., Beekman, M., Lim, J., Oldroyd, B. (2012). Heritability of worker ovariole number in the Cape honey bee Apis mellifera capensis. Insectes Sociaux, 59(3), 351-359. [More Information]

2011

  • Oldroyd, B., Allsopp, M., Lim, J., Beekman, M. (2011). A Thelytokous Lineage of Socially Parasitic Honey Bees has Retained Heterozygosity Despite at Least 10 Years of Inbreeding. Evolution, 65(3), 860-868. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M., Allsopp, M., Lim, J., Goudie, F., Oldroyd, B. (2011). Asexually Produced Cape Honeybee Queens (Apis mellifera capensis) Reproduce Sexually. Journal of Heredity, 102(5), 562-566. [More Information]
  • Diwold, K., Schaerf, T., Myerscough, M., Middendorf, M., Beekman, M. (2011). Deciding on the wing: In-flight decision making and search space sampling in the red dwarf honeybee Apis florea. Swarm Intelligence, 5(2), 121-141. [More Information]

2010

  • Dussutour, A., Latty, T., Beekman, M., Simpson, S. (2010). Amoeboid organism solves complex nutritional challenges. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(10), 4607-4611. [More Information]
  • Diwold, K., Beekman, M., Middendorf, M. (2010). Bee Nest Site Selection as an Optimization Process. Artificial Life XII, Cambridge 2010: MIT Press.
  • Lo, N., Beekman, M., Oldroyd, B. (2010). Caste in Social Insects: Genetic Influences Over Caste Determination. In Breed, M. and Moore, J. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, (pp. 254-260). New York: Academic Press. [More Information]

2009

  • Beekman, M., Allsopp, M., Jordan, L., Lim, J., Oldroyd, B. (2009). A quantitative study of worker reproduction in queenright colonies of the Cape honey bee, Apis mellifera capensis. Molecular Ecology, 18(12), 2722-2727. [More Information]
  • Latty, T., Beekman, M. (2009). Food quality affects search strategy in the acellular slime mould, Physarum polycephalum. Behavioral Ecology, 20(6), 1160-1167. [More Information]
  • Latty, T., Duncan, M., Beekman, M. (2009). High bee traffic disrupts transfer of directional information in flying honeybee swarms. Animal Behaviour, 78(1), 117-121. [More Information]

2008

  • Hughes, W., Oldroyd, B., Beekman, M., Ratnieks, F. (2008). Ancestral monogamy shows kin selection is key to the evolution of eusociality. Science, 320(5880), 1213-1216. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M., Sword, G., Simpson, S. (2008). Biological foundations of swarm intelligence. In C Blum and D. Merkle (Eds.), Swarm Intelligence - Introduction and applications, (pp. 3-41). Berlin: Springer. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M., Gloag, R., Even, N., Wattanachaiyingchareon, W., Oldroyd, B. (2008). Dance precision of Apis florea - clues to the evolution of the honeybee dance language? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 62(8), 1259-1265. [More Information]

2007

  • Jordan, L., Allsopp, M., Oldroyd, B., Wossler, T., Beekman, M. (2007). A scientific note on the drone flight time of Apis mellifera capensis and A. m. scutellata. Apidologie, 38(5), 436-437. [More Information]
  • Jordan, L., Allsopp, M., Oldroyd, B., Wossler, T., Beekman, M. (2007). Cheating honeybee workers produce royal offspring. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275(1632), 345-351. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M., Martin, S., Drijfhout, F., Oldroyd, B. (2007). Higher removal rate of eggs laid by anarchistic queens - a cost of anarchy? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 61(12), 1847-1853. [More Information]

2006

  • Beekman, M., Peeters, C., O'Riain, J. (2006). Developmental divergence: neglected variable in understanding the evolution of reproductive skew in social animals. Behavioral Ecology, 17(4), 622-627. [More Information]
  • Oldroyd, B., Reddy, M., Chapman, N., Thompson, G., Beekman, M. (2006). Evidence for reproductive isolation between two colour morphs of cavity nesting honey bees (Apis) in south India. Insectes Sociaux, 53(4), 428-434. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M., Fathke, R., Seeley, T. (2006). How does an informed minority of scouts guide a honeybee swarm as it flies to its new home? Animal Behaviour, 71(1), 161-171. [More Information]

2005

  • Janson, S., Middendorf, M., Beekman, M. (2005). Honeybee swarms: how do scouts guide a swarm of uninformed bees? Animal Behaviour, 70(2), 349-358. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M., Oldroyd, B. (2005). Honeybee workers use cues other than egg viability for policing. Biology Letters, 1(2), 129-132. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M. (2005). How long will honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) be stimulated by scent to revisit past-profitable forage sites? Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology, 191(12), 1115-1120. [More Information]

2004

  • Beekman, M. (2004). Busy Buzzers. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 19(2), 65-66.
  • Beekman, M., Sumpter, D., Seraphides, N., Ratnieks, F. (2004). Comparing Foraging Behaviour Of Small And Large Honey Bee Colonies By Decoding Waggle Dances Made By Foragers. Functional Ecology, 18(6), 829-835. [More Information]
  • Martin, C., Oldroyd, B., Beekman, M. (2004). Differential Reproductive Success Among Subfamilies In Queenless Honeybee (Apis Mellifera L.) Colonies. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 56(1), 42-49. [More Information]

2003

  • Beekman, M., Oldroyd, B. (2003). Different policing rates of eggs laid by queenright and queenless anarchistic honey-bee workers. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 54(5), 480-484. [More Information]
  • Beekman, M., Oldroyd, B. (2003). Effects of cross-feeding anarchistic and wild type honey bees: anarchistic workers are not queen-like. Science of Nature, 90(4), 189-192.
  • Sumpter, D., Beekman, M. (2003). From nonlinearity to optimality: Pheromone trail foraging by ants. Animal Behaviour, 66(2), 273-280. [More Information]

2002

  • Beekman, M., Good, G., Allsopp, M., Radloff, S., Pirk, C., Ratnieks, F. (2002). A non-policing honey bee colony (Apis mellifera capensis). Science of Nature, 89(10), 479-482. [More Information]
  • Calis, J., Boot, W., Allsopp, M., Beekman, M. (2002). Getting more than a fair share: nutrition of worker larvae related to social parasitism in the Cape honey bee Apis mellifera capensis. Apidologie, 33(2), 193-202.
  • Beekman, M., Wossler, T., Martin, S., Ratnieks, F. (2002). Parasitic Cape honey bee workers (Apis mellifera capensis) are not given differential treatment by African guards (A. m. scutellata). Insectes Sociaux, 49(3), 216-220. [More Information]

2001

  • Beekman, M., Sumpter, D., Ratnieks, F. (2001). Phase transition between disordered and ordered foraging in Pharaohs' ants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 98(17), 9703-9706. [More Information]

Selected Grants

2018

  • Multilevel selection and the integrity of mitochondrial DNA, Beekman M, Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Projects (DP)
  • Brainless intelligence - identifying the basis of intelligence using non-neural organisms., Beekman M, Gagliano M, Templeton World Charity Foundation/Research Support

2016

  • What is killing the honeybees The role of RNA viruses, Beekman M, Hall R, Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Projects (DP)