EVOLUTIONARY CONFLICT AND COOPERATION Flashcards
What is cooperation in evolutionary terms, and how does it relate to altruism?
Cooperation refers to behaviors that benefit others, often at a cost to oneself. This concept is closely related to altruism, which is the selfless concern for the welfare of others, where individuals may harm themselves for the benefit of others.
cooperative
Benefit to Self Individuals involved typically benefit (direct or indirect).
Benefit to Others All participants usually benefit.
Motivation Often mutual or reciprocal benefit.
Example Mutual hunting between predators like lions.
altruism
benefit to self - The individual helping may incur a personal cost.
benefit to others - The recipient benefits, while the altruist may suffer.
motivation- Desire to help others, even at a cost to oneself.
example - A parent sacrificing food for their offspring.
What are the two main explanations for altruistic behavior?
Collective Self-Interest Altruism:
Mutual Benefit Altruism (Reciprocal Altruism):
Mutual Benefit Altruism (Reciprocal Altruism):
Cooperative behavior is performed with the expectation of immediate or future returns, leading to direct benefits for the individual.
Collective Self-Interest Altruism:
Individuals act in ways that benefit the group, which ultimately enhances their own survival and reproductive success.
Explain collective self-interest altruism with an example
Collective self-interest altruism occurs when individuals perform actions that benefit the group, knowing that these actions will also benefit themselves indirectly. For instance, in wolf packs, individuals help care for the young and defend the territory, which enhances the survival of the pack as a whole, benefiting all members, including themselves.
Describe mutual benefit altruism and provide an example.
Mutual benefit altruism is characterized by cooperative behavior that provides direct advantages to the individuals involved, rather than self-sacrifice. An example includes birds that mob predators to drive them away. This collective action protects the group, and the immediate benefit is that the individual birds avoid predation.
what is group selection
theory that natural selection can act on a whole group - certain behaviors or traits that benefit the group as a whole may evolve, even if they come at a cost to the individual performing the behavior.
What are some advantages of group selection?
Selective Pressure: Groups with traits that promote cooperation can outlast others.
Survival Benefits: When members sacrifice personal resources for the group (e.g., defense), it enhances group survival chances
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Promoting Harmony: Traits that reduce aggression within groups can lead to greater group cohesion and success.
What are the limitations of group selection theory?
- Resource Constraints: Limited resources can restrict group growth and sustainability.
- Dominance Hierarchies: Dominant individuals (e.g., female wolves) may evict less dominant or pregnant individuals to reduce competition.
- Selfish Mutations: Genetic mutations may arise that favor selfish behaviors, undermining group cooperation.
- Non-Evolutionary Stable Strategy (ESS): Group selection can be outcompeted by selfish strategies.
Define kin selection and its significance in altruism.
Kin selection is the evolutionary strategy that favors reproductive success of an organism’s relatives, even at a cost to the organism’s own survival and reproduction. It emphasizes genetic relatedness, where individuals are more likely to engage in altruistic behaviors toward relatives due to shared genes.
What is parent-offspring conflict?
Parent-offspring conflict arises because offspring seek maximum investment from parents to increase their own chances of survival and reproduction, while parents aim to minimize investment to ensure they can provide for future offspring and maintain their own reproductive potential.
How do male and female reproductive strategies differ, and what are the implications?
Males typically benefit from seeking multiple mating opportunities to increase their reproductive success (quantity), while females are more selective, prioritizing high-quality mates for better offspring (quality). This difference can lead to sexual competition among males and selective mate choice among females.
What is sexual conflict, and how does it manifest in reproductive strategies?
Sexual conflict occurs when the reproductive interests of males and females diverge, leading to strategies that may be detrimental to the other sex. Males may adopt aggressive tactics to secure mating, while females may evolve traits to resist such strategies, creating a constant evolutionary arms race.
