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Cheater-resistance is not futile
Anupama Khare1, Lorenzo A Santorelli, Joan E Strassmann
1Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Nature
|October 2, 2009
Summary
Social amoebae populations can evolve resistance to cheating. This "cheater-resistance" is a noble strategy that helps preserve cooperation within the group.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Social behavior
- Microbial ecology
Background:
- Cooperative systems face challenges from
- cheaters
- who benefit without contributing.
- Mechanisms to suppress cheating are known, but resistance evolution is less studied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if populations can evolve resistance to cheating.
- To determine if this resistance is a
- noble strategy
- that doesn't exploit others.
Main Methods:
- Experimental evolution using social amoebae (Dictyostelium discoideum).
- Introduction of cheater strains into populations of randomly mutated amoebae.
- Observation and analysis of the evolution of resistance.
Main Results:
- The presence of cheaters selected for the evolution of cheater-resistant strains.
- Resister strains did not necessarily exploit other strains, indicating a
- noble strategy
- .
Conclusions:
- Cheater-resistance can evolve in cooperative systems.
- This evolution can be a key mechanism for maintaining cooperation against exploitation.
- The findings have implications for understanding the stability of social behaviors.
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