Sean McGregor

Papers

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About

Sean McGregor is a behavioral ecologist whose research centers on the mechanisms of division of labor in eusocial insects, particularly ants and bees. His work explores how task specialization, flexibility, and efficiency shape colony organization. McGregor’s major contributions include demonstrating that brood transport specialization in ant colonies lacks flexibility—when specialized workers are removed, others do not compensate, and no efficiency gains arise from the division. This challenges long-held assumptions about the adaptive benefits of task specialization. Using cutting-edge automated tracking and robotic systems, he precisely manipulates colony environments to test behavioral responses, bridging technology and ecology. His 2024 paper, cited 3 times, exemplifies this innovative approach. McGregor’s research has implications for understanding collective behavior, swarm robotics, and the evolution of social systems. His work is notable for integrating robotics into ethology, offering new tools to dissect complex social dynamics. For students and researchers, McGregor’s studies highlight the nuanced trade-offs in social insect colonies and the power of interdisciplinary methods in behavioral science.