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Evolution of vertical and oblique transmission under fluctuating selection
Yoav Ram1, Uri Liberman2, Marcus W Feldman3
1Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020.
Summary
Social learning strategies evolve differently under fluctuating selection. Vertical and oblique cultural transmission rates are influenced by selection cycles, impacting population fitness and evolutionarily stable transmission rules.
Area of Science:
- Cultural evolution
- Evolutionary game theory
- Population genetics
Background:
- Social learning, where individuals learn from others, competes with individual learning.
- Understanding social learning maintenance under fluctuating selection is crucial in cultural evolution theory.
- Vertical (parent-offspring) and oblique (non-parental, non-offspring) cultural transmission are key mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the competition between vertical and oblique cultural transmission under various selection regimes.
- To determine conditions for stable polymorphism under periodically cycling selection.
- To analyze the evolution of vertical transmission rates and their relation to population fitness.
Main Methods:
- Mathematical modeling of cultural transmission dynamics.
- Analysis of selection regimes: constant, periodically cycling, and random fluctuation.
- Derivation of conditions for evolutionarily stable strategies (ESS) and stable polymorphism.
Main Results:
- Conditions for stable polymorphism were derived for periodically cycling selection.
- The length of the selection cycle and selection strength influence the fate of vertical transmission modifiers.
- Evolutionarily stable vertical transmission rates often differ from those maximizing population geometric mean fitness.
Conclusions:
- The evolution of cultural transmission rules exhibits distinct dynamics compared to modifiers of recombination, mutation, or migration.
- Fluctuating selection, particularly periodic cycling, significantly shapes the evolution of social learning strategies.
- Optimal transmission strategies are context-dependent and may not align with maximizing average population fitness.
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