The demographic benefits of belligerence and bravery: defeated group repopulation or victorious group size expansion?

ABSTRACT: Intraspecific coalitional aggression between groups of individuals is a widespread trait in the animal world. It occurs in invertebrates and vertebrates, and is prevalent in humans. What are the conditions under which coalitional aggression evolves in natural populations? In this article, I develop a mathematical model delineating conditions where natural selection can favor the coevolution of belligerence and bravery between small-scale societies. Belligerence increases an actor's group probability of trying to conquer another group and bravery increase the actors's group probability of defeating an attacked group. The model takes into account two different types of demographic scenarios that may lead to the coevolution of belligerence and bravery. Under the first, the fitness benefits dr

SUBMITTER: Lehmann L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3130041 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature