Dominic Cram

Dominic Cram is a Lecturer in Ecology and Conservation at the University of East Anglia, School of Biological Sciences, and a member of the Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation. He joined UEA in July 2024, after a brief position at Edinburgh Napier University. His research focuses on behavioural ecology, particularly cooperation and conflict in social animals, including Kalahari meerkats and human-honeyguide mutualisms.

• University: University of East Anglia
• School: School of Biological Sciences
• Position: Lecturer in Ecology and Conservation
• Email: D.Cram@uea.ac.uk
• ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8790-8294

His research is centered on understanding cooperation and conflict across biological levels, with key interests in interspecies cooperation, cooperative breeding, intergroup conflict, life-history trade-offs, and human-wildlife cooperation. He co-founded an international consortium on human-wildlife cooperation and leads research on the human-honeyguide mutualism with Prof. Claire Spottiswoode. His work integrates field studies, physiological assays, and evolutionary theory.

His recent publications span topics in molecular ecology, behavioural biology, and conservation, with a strong focus on telomere dynamics, oxidative stress, social dominance, and mutualism stability. Trends in his research show a consistent emphasis on the physiological and evolutionary underpinnings of social behaviour in wild populations, particularly in arid-zone species. He frequently publishes in high-impact journals such as Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Molecular Ecology, and PLoS Biology.

Scientific contributions include:

• Defining and conserving human-wildlife cooperation as a global phenomenon
• Revealing that dominant meerkats age faster but live longer due to reduced extra-group risks
• Investigating how meerkat pups’ early-life conditions affect telomere length and survival
• Exploring oxidative costs of reproduction and cognition in wild animals

Dominic Cram actively mentors students and welcomes PhD applicants. He teaches field ecology and has been involved in postdoctoral training and collaborative grant applications, including Leverhulme and Marie Curie fellowships. He has no listed formal awards in the provided text, but his work has been widely disseminated through popular science outlets like The Conversation, New Scientist, and National Geographic.

He is involved with the Kalahari Meerkat Project and has contributed to long-term datasets on meerkat behaviour and physiology. His interdisciplinary approach combines ecology, evolution, physiology, and conservation, with strong international collaborations across Africa and Europe.