Evolving associations: cooperation and conflict within and between species

不断发展的关联：物种内部和物种之间的合作与冲突

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-02608
• 负责人: Hauert, Christoph
• 金额: $ 2.91万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=758520
• 关键词: Evolving; associations; cooperation; conflict; within

Cooperation is a conundrum in evolutionary theory because cooperators bear costs to benefit others. This results in a social dilemma where everyone is better off cooperating but individuals are tempted to free ride to the detriment of all. Evolutionary game theory, EGT, has been instrumental for advancing the theory of intra-species interactions and for understanding cooperation, in particular. The problem of cooperation is exacerbated if individual actions bestow benefits to another species. Nevertheless, cross-species associations are ubiquitous in nature with vast implications ranging from conservation biology to agriculture and health: the survival of coral reefs hinges on associations between corals and algae, many plants rely on pollinators or on nitrogen fixing bacteria, while parasitoid associations can control pests, and human health depends on our associated microbiome. EGT is ideally suited to model the significantly more challenging and variegated inter-species interactions but received surprisingly little attention in the past. This proposal leverages our expertise in intra-species evolution to contrast, compare and explore inter-species interactions: similarities include mechanisms to reduce cheating through punishment, repeated interactions, population structures or outside options. Novel dynamical aspects arise through differences in competition, inheritance, timescales, individual size and ecology between the associated species. A rigorous mechanistic classification helps to organize and advance the theory of the seemingly endless varieties of cross-species associations in nature. Amalgamating EGT and adaptive dynamics, AD, promises novel insights into the evolution of associations. Theory helps to delineate conditions conducive to form and shape associations, such as the role of horizontal and vertical symbiont transmission to prevent cheating, tame parasites, or to promote transitions from parasitic to mutualistic and facultative to obligate associations. For the emergence of associations two particularly promising evolutionary pathways are considered: the cultivation of one species by another - what appears as mutualistic associations may, in effect, be sophisticated forms of exploitation - or, specialization and division of labour within species, which turns into a selective force that drives speciation and has the potential to introduce selection on the level of associations. In cultural settings the emergence of social stratification resembles species associations with competition predominantly within but interactions between strata. The evolution of social hierarchies, institutions and governments enables groups to function more efficiently by coordinating concerted efforts for the benefit of all. However, in many societies corruption poses a major challenge to social institutions. Theory helps to identify measures to prevent the degradation of mutualistic associations between strata into despotic extortion.

合作是进化论中的一个难题，因为合作者要承担使他人受益的成本。这导致了一种社会困境，即每个人都可以通过合作获得更好的结果，但个人却很容易搭便车，从而损害所有人的利益。进化博弈论（EGT）对于推进物种内相互作用理论，特别是理解合作发挥了重要作用。如果个人行为给另一个物种带来好处，合作问题就会加剧。然而，跨物种关联在自然界中无处不在，具有从保护生物学到农业和健康的广泛影响：珊瑚礁的生存取决于珊瑚和藻类之间的关联，许多植物依赖传粉媒介或固氮细菌，而寄生生物关联可以控制害虫，人类健康取决于我们相关的微生物组。 EGT 非常适合模拟更具挑战性和多样化的物种间相互作用，但在过去却很少受到关注。该提案利用我们在物种内进化方面的专业知识来对比、比较和探索物种间相互作用：相似之处包括通过惩罚、重复相互作用、种群结构或外部选择来减少作弊的机制。新的动态方面是通过相关物种之间的竞争、遗传、时间尺度、个体大小和生态的差异而产生的。严格的机械分类有助于组织和推进自然界看似无穷无尽的跨物种关联的理论。 将 EGT 和自适应动力学 AD 相结合，有望为关联的演变提供新的见解。理论有助于描述有利于形成和塑造关联的条件，例如水平和垂直共生传播在防止作弊、驯服寄生虫或促进从寄生到互利、兼性到专性关联的转变方面的作用。对于关联的出现，我们考虑了两种特别有希望的进化途径：一个物种对另一个物种的培育——看似互利共生的关联实际上可能是复杂的剥削形式——或者是物种内部的专业化和劳动分工，这变成了一种驱动物种形成的选择力量，并有可能在关联水平上引入选择。在文化环境中，社会分层的出现类似于物种关联，主要是在阶层内部竞争，但在阶层之间相互作用。社会等级制度、机构和政府的演变使群体能够通过协调一致的努力来更有效地运作，以造福所有人。然而，在许多社会中，腐败对社会机构构成了重大挑战。理论有助于确定措施，以防止各阶层之间的互惠关系退化为专制勒索。