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Kin Selection and the Evolution of Social Information Use in Animal Conflict

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  • Christopher C M Baker
  • Sasha R X Dall
  • Daniel J Rankin

Abstract

Animals often use social information about conspecifics in making decisions about cooperation and conflict. While the importance of kin selection in the evolution of intraspecific cooperation and conflict is widely acknowledged, few studies have examined how relatedness influences the evolution of social information use. Here we specifically examine how relatedness affects the evolution of a stylised form of social information use known as eavesdropping. Eavesdropping involves individuals escalating conflicts with rivals observed to have lost their last encounter and avoiding fights with those seen to have won. We use a game theoretical model to examine how relatedness affects the evolution of eavesdropping, both when strategies are discrete and when they are continuous or mixed. We show that relatedness influences the evolution of eavesdropping, such that information use peaks at intermediate relatedness. Our study highlights the importance of considering kin selection when exploring the evolution of complex forms of information use.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher C M Baker & Sasha R X Dall & Daniel J Rankin, 2012. "Kin Selection and the Evolution of Social Information Use in Animal Conflict," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(2), pages 1-7, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0031664
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031664
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martin A. Nowak & Karl Sigmund, 1998. "Evolution of indirect reciprocity by image scoring," Nature, Nature, vol. 393(6685), pages 573-577, June.
    2. M.A. Nowak & K. Sigmund, 1998. "Evolution of Indirect Reciprocity by Image Scoring/ The Dynamics of Indirect Reciprocity," Working Papers ir98040, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
    3. Martin A. Nowak & Karl Sigmund, 2005. "Evolution of indirect reciprocity," Nature, Nature, vol. 437(7063), pages 1291-1298, October.
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