Our Basic Need for Social Connection

A growing body of research shows that the need to connect socially with others is as basic as our need for food, water and shelter, writes UCLA professor Matthew Lieberman in his first book, “Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect,” published this week by Crown Publishers.

Darwinian Salamander Dilemma

H. Bradley Shaffer, professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, discusses the ecological dangers resulting from the interbreeding of endangered California salamanders and imported Texas salamanders, which has created a new type of hybrid “super-salamander.”

Are Grey Wolves Endangered?

Research led by Robert Wayne, professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, weighs in on the controversy accompanying the federal government’s proposal to remove grey wolves from the endangered species list.