Abstract
In the context of social evolution, the ecological drivers of selection are the phenotypes of other individuals. The social environment can thus evolve, potentially changing the adaptive value for different social strategies. Different branches of evolutionary biology have traditionally focused on different aspects of these feedbacks. Here, we synthesize behavioral ecology theory concerning evolutionarily stable strategies when fitness is frequency dependent with quantitative genetic models providing statistical descriptions of evolutionary responses to social selection. Using path analyses, we review how social interactions influence the strength of selection and how social responsiveness, social impact, and non-random social assortment affect responses to social selection. We then detail how the frequency-dependent nature of social interactions fits into this framework and how it imposes selection on traits mediating social responsiveness, social impact, and social assortment, further affecting evolutionary dynamics. Throughout, we discuss the parameters in quantitative genetics models of social evolution from a behavioral ecology perspective and identify their statistical counterparts in empirical studies. This integration of behavioral ecology and quantitative genetic perspectives should lead to greater clarity in the generation of hypotheses and more focused empirical research regarding evolutionary pathways and feedbacks inherent in specific social interactions.
Highlights
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Equation 3 as we present it here explicitly describes evolutionary changes across generations, combining the frequency dependence described in game theory (Queller 1984, 1985; Westneat 2012) with the genetic underpinnings of the covariance between the phenotypes of interacting individuals (Frank 1997; Wolf et al 1999; McGlothlin et al 2010)
We have integrated key theoretical elements regarding social evolution and presented them using a set of path diagrams intended to stimulate empirical measurement of key pathways
Summary
Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/biology_facpub Part of the Biology Commons. Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits you. Repository Citation Araya-Ajoy, Yimen G.; Westneat, David F.; and Wright, Jonathan, "Pathways to Social Evolution and Their Evolutionary Feedbacks" (2020). Pathways to Social Evolution and Their Evolutionary Feedbacks Digital Object Identifier (DOI). This review is available at UKnowledge: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/biology_facpub/224
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