Mutual policing and repression of competition in the evolution of cooperative groups (original) (raw)

Nature volume 377, pages 520–522 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

EVOLUTIONARY theory has not explained how competition among lower level units is suppressed in the formation of higher-level evolutionary units1,2. For example, the key problem of early evolution is how small, individual replicators formed cooperative groups of sufficient complexity to allow accurate copying of the genetic material3. The puzzle is why parasites did not subvert the formation of cells by obtaining benetics benefits from the group without contributing to shared traits that enhance reproduction4. These parasites would outcompete other replicators within the cell, disrupting reproductive fairness among subunits and destroying the functional coherence of the group. A similar problem arose at a later evolutionary stage with the orderly mendelian segregation of subunits (chromosomes) within cells, and reproductive fairness continued to be a problem in the evolution of insect5 and human societies6. Here I present a simple model to show how reproductive fairness evolves among subunits to create functional coherence and higher-level units. Self-restraint, which evolves according to the kin-selection coefficient of relatedness, is not sufficient: mutual policing and enforcement of reproductive fairness are also required for the evolution of increasing social complexity.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wilson, D. S. & Sober, E. J. theor. Biol. 136, 337–356 (1989).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  2. Maynard Smith, J. & Szathmáry, E. The Major Transitions in Evolution (Freeman, New York, 1995).
    Google Scholar
  3. Eigen, M. & Schuster, P. The Hypercycle: A Principle of Natural Self-Organization (Springer, New York, 1979).
    Book Google Scholar
  4. Maynard Smith, J. Nature 280, 445–446 (1979).
    Article Google Scholar
  5. Ratnieks, F. L. W. & Reeve, H. K. J. theor. Biol. 158, 33–65 (1992).
    Article Google Scholar
  6. Alexander, R. D. The Biology of Moral Systems (Aldine de Gruyter, New York, 1987).
    Google Scholar
  7. Frank, S. A. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 258, 153–161 (1994).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  8. Bremermann, H. J. & Pickering, J. J. theor. Biol. 100, 411–426 (1983).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  9. Lloyd, W. F. Two Lectures on the Checks to Population (1833, reprinted by Augustus M.Kelley, New York, 1968).
    Google Scholar
  10. Hardin, G. Science 162, 1243–1248 (1968).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  11. Hardin, G. Living within Limits: Ecology, Economics and Population Taboos (Oxford Univ. Press, 1993).
    Google Scholar
  12. Ratnieks, F. L. W. & Visscher, P. K. Nature 342, 796–797 (1989).
    Article ADS Google Scholar
  13. Hurst, L. D. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 258, 287–298 (1994).
    Article ADS Google Scholar
  14. Wilson, D. S. & Sober, E. Behav. Brain Sci. 17, 585–684 (1994).
    Article Google Scholar
  15. Bonner, J, T. The Cellular Slime Moulds 2nd edn (Princeton Univ. Press, 1967).
    Google Scholar
  16. Morrissey, J. H. in The Development of Dictyostelium discoideum (ed. Loomis, W. F.) 411–449 (Academic, New York, 1982).
    Book Google Scholar
  17. Williams, J. G. et al. Cell 59, 1157–1163 (1989).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  18. Ozaki, T. et al. Development 117, 1299–1308 (1993).
    CAS PubMed Google Scholar
  19. Maynard Smith, J. Evolution and the Theory of Games (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1982).
    Book Google Scholar
  20. Price, G. R. Nature 227, 520–521 (1970).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  21. Hamilton, W. D. Nature 228, 218–220 (1970).
    Article Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Evolutonary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, 92717, USA
    Steven A. Frank

Authors

  1. Steven A. Frank
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frank, S. Mutual policing and repression of competition in the evolution of cooperative groups.Nature 377, 520–522 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/377520a0

Download citation