Little Peacemakers: Microbes Can Promote Nonviolent Conflict Resolution by Their Hosts.

ABSTRACT: Conflicts between individuals of the same species are common in nature and are mostly resolved with limited aggression. Several theoretical studies, such as the Hawk-Dove (HD) game model, investigate the evolution of limited aggression expressed during conflicts between individuals. These studies mainly focus on the individuals involved in the conflict and their genes. Recently accumulating evidence indicates that microbes are associated with diverse functions of their host and can affect host behavior. Here we extend the classic HD game model to include both the hosts and their microbes, examining how natural selection acts on the microbes. We find that nonaggressive host behavior is more likely to evolve and spread in a population when induced by the microbes residing in the host, compar

SUBMITTER: Bendett Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12000772 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature