Reciprocity in group-living animals: partner control versus partner choice
Gabriele Schino1, Filippo Aureli2,3
1Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy.
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
|January 7, 2016
Summary
Cooperation in animals arises from partner control and partner choice. Partner choice appears more common in primates, suggesting varied evolutionary paths for cooperation in social groups.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Animal Behavior
- Primatology
Background:
- Reciprocity is a key evolutionary explanation for cooperation, but its mechanisms are debated.
- Existing research often conflates partner control and partner choice as drivers of reciprocity.
- Understanding these distinct mechanisms is crucial for explaining cooperative behaviors in social animals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate between partner control and partner choice as distinct processes underlying reciprocity.
- To investigate the prevalence of partner choice in primate cooperation.
- To propose explanations for observed patterns of reciprocity in primates.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing empirical evidence on reciprocity in group-living animals, with a focus on primates.
- Analysis of cooperative behaviors and their correlation with received cooperation.
- Theoretical framework to distinguish the effects of partner control versus partner choice.
Main Results:
- Cooperative behaviors in group-living animals are influenced by both partner control and partner choice.
- Evidence suggests partner choice is the dominant mechanism driving reciprocity in primates.
- Observed preferential cooperation is a result of the combined effects of these two processes.
Conclusions:
- Distinguishing partner control and partner choice clarifies the evolutionary basis of cooperation.
- Partner choice plays a significant role in primate social dynamics and cooperation.
- Further research is needed across diverse taxa to fully elucidate the roles of partner control and partner choice.
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