Ecology of Social Evolution
Publication year: 2008
ISBN: 978-3-540-75957-7
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This book brings together renowned researchers working on sociality in different animals. For the first time, they compile the evidence for the importance of ecological factors in the evolution of social life, ranging from invertebrate to vertebrate social systems, and evaluate its importance versus that of relatedness. Answers are given to important questions such as: - Which factors favour group living in social invertebrates and vertebrates? - Are there general differences in the evolutionary forces promoting social life in social insects versus cooperatively breeding vertebrates? - Why are there only so few eusocial vertebrates? - Can relatedness within social groups be a by-product arising from the fact that neighbours are generally kin?
Subject: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cooperation, altruism, animals, animal behaviour, ecological constraints, ecology, entomology, evolution, kin selection
