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Evolution of Individual Group Size Preference can Increase Group-level Selection and Cooperation

Evolution of Individual Group Size Preference can Increase Group-level Selection and Cooperation
Evolution of Individual Group Size Preference can Increase Group-level Selection and Cooperation
The question of how cooperative groups can evolve and be maintained is fundamental to understanding the evolution of social behaviour in general, and the major transitions in particular. Here, we show how selection on an individual trait for group size preference can increase variance in fitness at the group-level, thereby leading to an increase in cooperation through stronger group selection. We are thus able to show conditions under which a population can evolve from an initial state with low cooperation and only weak group selection, to one where group selection is a highly effective force.
group selection, cooperation, major transitions
Springer
Powers, Simon T
474bffcd-e5ab-4be0-89fe-b0d0b2bdf2c1
Watson, Richard A
ce199dfc-d5d4-4edf-bd7b-f9e224c96c75
Powers, Simon T
474bffcd-e5ab-4be0-89fe-b0d0b2bdf2c1
Watson, Richard A
ce199dfc-d5d4-4edf-bd7b-f9e224c96c75

Powers, Simon T and Watson, Richard A (2009) Evolution of Individual Group Size Preference can Increase Group-level Selection and Cooperation. In Advances in Artificial Life: Proceedings of the Tenth European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL 2009). Springer.. (Submitted)

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

The question of how cooperative groups can evolve and be maintained is fundamental to understanding the evolution of social behaviour in general, and the major transitions in particular. Here, we show how selection on an individual trait for group size preference can increase variance in fitness at the group-level, thereby leading to an increase in cooperation through stronger group selection. We are thus able to show conditions under which a population can evolve from an initial state with low cooperation and only weak group selection, to one where group selection is a highly effective force.

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EvolvingGroupSize.pdf - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Submitted date: 2009
Keywords: group selection, cooperation, major transitions
Organisations: Agents, Interactions & Complexity

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 267675
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/267675
PURE UUID: d3f1f54c-e631-4afe-8bcc-4be95b0ac31f
ORCID for Richard A Watson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2521-8255

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 17 Jul 2009 11:20
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:21

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Contributors

Author: Simon T Powers
Author: Richard A Watson ORCID iD

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