I studied Evolutionary Biology in Bonn and in my current position as a Research Assistant I'm working on the statistical analysis of biochemical compounds of African wild bees from Kilimanjaro over an elevational gradient. My PhD project will focus on the adaptation of the chemical composition of cuticulary hydrocarbons and other biological traits of wild bees across two distinct environmental gradients, latitudinal (from the equatorial tropics to temperate climates) and altitudinal (across the elevation gradient of mountain areas). I want to know under which climatic conditions (especially temperature variation across the two types of gradients) the social behavior of wild bees shows distinct adaptations.