Social Behavior

Question 1

What are some different types of intraspecific interactions defined by actor and recipient fitness consequences? Which types pose a conundrum for natural selection?

Answer 1

Mutual benefit (+,+), Selfishness (+,-), Altruism (-,+), Spite (-,-). Cases of cooperation, and altruism, particularly the latter, do not necessarily make sense in the context of natural selection as they contribute to the success of other species, occasionally at cost to the actor

Question 2

Describe the kinship explanation for the evolution of cooperation.

Answer 2

Cooperation for the benefit of the fitness value of relatives

Question 3

What is inclusive fitness?

Answer 3

Combination of direct (individual lifetime reproductive output) and indirect (reproduction of relatives facilitated by actors behavior) fitness

Question 4

What is Hamilton’s rule? How does it work, and how is relatedness measured here? Given some basic parameters for this model, can you predict whether the scenario would be favored my natural selection?

Answer 4

Help to relatives leads to a decrease in direct fitness (altruistic). Relatedness is measured by the correlation of relatedness, or the probability that a given allele is shared due to shared ancestry
Br– C>0

Question 5

Describe the reciprocity explanation for the evolution of cooperation

Answer 5

Indirect benefits are exchanged

Question 6

What is the prisoner’s dilemma? What predictions does it make about the type of scenarios under which reciprocity is a possible explanation for cooperation?

Answer 6

Cooperation leads to personal cost but overall benefits both actors

Question 7

Describe the multi-level selection explanation for the evolution of cooperation

Answer 7

The good of the group at the cost of the individual

Question 8

What is the tragedy of the commons?

Answer 8

If everyone acts in their own self-interest then the commons will be destroyed. More cooperators will lead to an a more successful population overall

Question 9

What kinds of scenarios might be conducive to multi-level section?

Answer 9

Examples include insect colonies

Question 10

What is eusociality? How does this concept affect our understanding of what constitutes an organism?

Answer 10

Highly structured societies with strong division of labor, not all individuals reproduce but instead play a role in care of young. Can be viewed as an extension of a multicellular organism