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Updated: May 10, 2026

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior

Published on: January 19, 2019

Towards a general theory of group selection.

Burton Simon¹, Jeffrey A Fletcher, Michael Doebeli

¹Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Colorado at Denver, 1250 Fourteenth Street, Denver, CO 80202, USA. Burt.Simon@ucdenver.edu

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution

|June 5, 2013

Summary

Formal models for group selection are lacking. This study introduces a new mathematical framework to distinguish individual and group selection events, offering a clearer definition of group selection. This framework was applied to cooperation and multicellularity evolution.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Theoretical biology
Mathematical modeling

Background:

The importance of group selection in evolution is debated due to a lack of formal models.
Existing models often lack explicit descriptions of selection events at multiple levels.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a general class of models for two-level evolutionary processes.
To provide a formal mathematical framework for distinguishing individual- and group-level selection events.
To offer a new, intuitive definition of group selection.

Main Methods:

Developed continuous-time Markov chain and partial differential equation (PDE) models for two-level systems.
Incorporated state-dependent birth and death rates at both individual and group levels.
Analyzed the mathematical structure of the PDE to differentiate event types.

Main Results:

The PDE's mathematical structure is consistent across various two-level population models.
A clear distinction between individual- and group-level events is established.
Group selection, as defined by this framework, is not mathematically equivalent to individual (kin) selection.

Conclusions:

The proposed mathematical framework offers a robust method for analyzing multilevel selection.
The new definition of group selection provides clarity and aids in understanding evolutionary dynamics.
The findings have implications for understanding the evolution of cooperation and multicellularity.