Call for Papers: Biological Clocks and Social Organization

A PeerJ Life & Environment Special Issue highlighting research into biological clocks and their impact across different levels of social organization

Biological clocks play a crucial role in various aspects of life across different levels of organization, as evidenced by the recent Nobel Prize awarded for outlining the cellular circuitry of the organismal clock.

First, biological clock elements were identified in social insect organization, then subsequent studies revealed the significant social regulation of the clock in highly eusocial species. For example, individuals in social groups may take turns foraging, which ultimately protects the nest. The plasticity of individuals’ biological clock may underlie this social behavior. Currently, clock regulation changes across various levels of social organization are under investigation and numerous new technologies are being applied to either precisely manipulate the organisms’ environment or continuously track thousands of individuals in their environment and society. Across research groups worldwide, these technologies and insights are being focused on different levels of organization, neural pathways, genomic mechanisms, and behavior.

This Special Issue aims to enhance our understanding of the role of biological clocks across all levels of social organization, and is based initially on a symposium of the same name held at the 22nd IUSSI conference in July 2022.

To find out more and submit your abstract, visit: peerj.com/special-issues/131-bio-clocks