Abstract
Multilevel selection theory, which has been used to explain the functional organization of individuals and single-species social groups, can be extended to explain the functional organization of multispecies communities. Adaptation at lower levels of the biological hierarchy, such as the individual, does not automatically lead to adaptation at higher levels. Community-level functional organization therefore requires a process of natural selection among local communities that vary in their species and/or genetic composition. Community-level selection has been demonstrated in the laboratory and is plausible for many natural communities. Mutualisms, strong ecological effects, and complex systems dynamics do not by themselves produce functional organization and therefore should be studied in conjunction with multilevel selection theory.
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