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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
08:04
Conditions Affecting Social Space in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: November 5, 2015
The evolution of socially modulated dispersal
Chon I Kam1, Graeme D Ruxton1, Andy Gardner1
1School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Greenside Place, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK.
Journal of Theoretical Biology
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Individuals may force others to disperse, a strategy that can evolve even if costly. Socially modulated dispersal can have surprising outcomes, including reduced overall dispersal.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Dispersal is crucial in ecology and evolution, often imposing a fitness cost on individuals.
- Individuals may benefit if others disperse, leading to potential conflicts over dispersal decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the evolutionary drivers and consequences of socially modulated dispersal.
- Explore how individuals influence the dispersal of others, either by forcing or facilitating it.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of evolutionary game theory.
- Analysis of conditions favoring voluntary versus socially modulated dispersal.
Main Results:
- Three stable evolutionary outcomes exist: voluntary dispersal, socially modulated dispersal, or a mix.
- Facilitating dispersal can be favored even if costly, unlike non-facilitating social modulation.
- Social modulation may paradoxically decrease overall dispersal rates.
- The disperser's perspective on social modulation can vary (welcome or unwelcome).
Conclusions:
- The evolution of dispersal is influenced by an individual's capacity for both dispersal and social modulation.
- Social interactions significantly shape dispersal strategies and their evolutionary trajectories.
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