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Kin-discriminating partner choice promotes the evolution of helping
Thomas W Scott1, Geoff Wild2, Andy Gardner1
1School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Dyers Brae, St Andrews, United Kingdom.
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|February 15, 2025
Summary
Kin selection theory suggests individuals help relatives. Allowing individuals to choose social partners, rather than just adjust helping levels, increases overall helping behavior, contrary to previous models.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Kin selection theory posits that individuals evolve to help relatives, either indiscriminately or by discriminating kin.
- Previous models suggested kin discrimination could increase or decrease overall helping based on the relatedness-helpfulness function (convex vs. concave).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of partner choice on helping behavior under kin selection.
- To re-evaluate predictions about kin discrimination's effect on overall helping levels.
Main Methods:
- Mathematical analysis of kin selection models.
- Comparison of models with and without partner choice.
- Consideration of general demographic assumptions and a specific patch-structured population model.
Main Results:
- Allowing individuals to choose their social partners significantly increases the overall level of helping.
- Kin discrimination is more likely to increase overall helping when individuals can select whom to assist.
Conclusions:
- Partner choice is a crucial factor in the evolution of helping behavior.
- Previous predictions on kin discrimination's effect on helping require revision to include partner choice mechanisms.
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