Evolution of restraint in a structured rock-paper-scissors community.

ABSTRACT: It is not immediately clear how costly behavior that benefits others evolves by natural selection. By saving on inherent costs, individuals that do not contribute socially have a selective advantage over altruists if both types receive equal benefits. Restrained consumption of a common resource is a form of altruism. The cost of this kind of prudent behavior is that restrained individuals give up resources to less-restrained individuals. The benefit of restraint is that better resource management may prolong the persistence of the group. One way to dodge the problem of defection is for altruists to interact disproportionately with other altruists. With limited dispersal, restrained individuals persist because of interaction with like types, whereas it is the unrestrained individuals that m

SUBMITTER: Nahum JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3131814 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature