The evolution of cooperation and the production of public goods in the context of predator inspection in the Trinidadian guppy

理解自然系统中合作的进化和维持是生物学中最长期存在的挑战之一。大多数动物物种生活在动态的社会群体中，个体经常与非亲属互动和合作，这给我们带来了一个进化难题。关于合作是如何在这样的系统中产生以及如何持续下去的，人们提出了许多理论。这创造了巨大的范围和需求，需要对此类理论提出的假设和预测进行实证测试，并建立针对社会联系的现实世界模式背景下的合作决策模型。该项目的总体目标是检验目前的理论模型提出的假设和预测，这些模型研究自然界合作的演变和持久性。特别是关于合作投资和社会特征的共同进化的问题，但学生有很大的空间来发展项目。该项目将采用经验和理论两种方法，使用特里迪亚孔雀鱼(Poecilia Reticata)作为模型系统。在这个系统中，个体在捕食者检查期间进行合作，并已被证明在它们的合作中表现出不同的表型。该项目将能够利用埃克塞特大学监管人萨菲·达顿和布里斯托尔大学监管人克里斯托斯·约阿诺维护的独特的孔雀种群及其最常见的捕食者。主管达顿和约安努带来了在每个系统和核心研究领域内工作的专业知识。此外，共同主管Tim Fawcett和Shaun Killen将分别为该项目带来进化建模和鱼类生理学方面的专业知识。

Understanding the evolution and maintenance of cooperation in natural systems is one of the longest standing challenges in biology. A majority of animal species live in dynamic social groupings where individuals regularly interact and cooperate with non-kin; presenting us with an evolutionary conundrum. A number of theories have been put forward for how cooperation has come about in such systems and how it can persist. This has created tremendous scope, and need, for empirical tests of the assumptions and predictions put forward by such theories and modelling of cooperative decisions made against a back-ground of real-world patterns of social contact. The overall aim of the project is to test assumptions and predictions put forward by current theoretical models investigating the evolution and persistence of cooperation in the natural world. In particular questions around the co-evolution of cooperative investment and social traits will be addressed, but there is plenty of scope for project development by the student. The project will apply both empirical and theoretical approaches using Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) as a model system. In this system individuals cooperate during predator inspection and have been demonstrated to vary phenotypically in their cooperativeness. The project will be able to take advantage of a unique assemblage of guppy populations and their most common fish predators maintained by University of Exeter supervisor Safi Darden and University of Bristol supervisor Christos Ioannou. Supervisors Darden and Ioannou bring expertise in working with each of the systems and within the core research areas. In addition, expertise in evolutionary modelling and fish physiology will be brought to the project by co-supervisors Tim Fawcett and Shaun Killen, respectively.