A Quantitative Test of Hamilton's Rule for the Evolution of Altruism

A study of experimental evolution in simulated groups of foraging robots demonstrates that their propensity to behave altruistically depends on their genetic relatedness (similarity), and the costs and benefits associated with altruistic behavior

The Price Equation

I give concise derivations of Price's equation and the criteria for kin and group selection, prove that kin and group selection are equivalent, and discuss the controversies about altruism

Robot life: simulation and participation in the study of evolution and social behavior.

This paper explores the case of using robots to simulate evolution, in particular the case of Hamilton's Law. The uses of robots raises several questions that this paper seeks to address. The first concerns the role of the robots in biological research: do they simulate something (life, evolution, sociality) or do they participate in something? The second question concerns the physicality of the robots: what difference does embodiment make to the role of the robot in these experiments. Thirdly, how do life, embodiment and social behavior relate in contemporary biology and why is it possible for robots to illuminate this relation? These questions are provoked by a strange similarity that has not been noted before: between the problem of simulation in philosophy of science, and Deleuze's reading of Plato on the relationship of ideas, copies and simulacra

Transitions between homophilic and heterophilic modes of cooperation

Cooperation is ubiquitous in biological and social systems. Previous studies revealed that a preference toward similar appearance promotes cooperation, a phenomenon called tag-mediated cooperation or communitarian cooperation. This effect is enhanced when a spatial structure is incorporated, because space allows agents sharing an identical tag to regroup to form locally cooperative clusters. In spatially distributed settings, one can also consider migration of organisms, which has a potential to further promote evolution of cooperation by facilitating spatial clustering. However, it has not yet been considered in spatial tag-mediated cooperation models. Here we show, using computer simulations of a spatial model of evolutionary games with organismal migration, that tag-based segregation and homophilic cooperation arise for a wide range of parameters. In the meantime, our results also show another evolutionarily stable outcome, where a high level of heterophilic cooperation is maintained in spatially well-mixed patterns. We found that these two different forms of tag-mediated cooperation appear alternately as the parameter for temptation to defect is increased.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Effects of group composition and level of selection in the evolution of cooperation in artificial ants

Since ants and other social insects have long generation time, it is very difficult for biologists to study the origin of complex social organization by guided evolution (a process where the evolution of a trait can be followed during experimental evolution). Here we use colonies of artificial ants implemented as small mobile robots with simple vision and communication abilities to explore these issues. In this paper, we present results concerning the role of relatedness (genetic similarity) and levels of selection (individual and colony-level selection) on the evolution of cooperation and division of labor in simulated ant colonies. In order to ensure thorough statistical analysis, the evolutionary experiments, herein reported, have been carried out using "minimalist" simulations of the collective robotics evolutionary setup. The results show that altruistic behaviors have low probability of emerging in heterogeneous colonies evolving under individual-level selection and that colonies with high genetic relatedness display better performance

Does Evolution Explain Human Nature?

Compiles short essays by twelve scientists and scholars on how well the theory of evolution explains human nature. Separate link includes video of a panel discussion with three scientists

Searching for Cost Optimized Interstellar Beacons

What would SETI Beacon transmitters be like if built by civilizations with a variety of motivations, but who cared about cost? We studied in a companion paper how, for fixed power density in the far field, we could build a cost-optimum interstellar Beacon system. Here we consider, if someone like us were to produce a Beacon, how should we look for it? High-power transmitters might be built for wide variety of motives other than twoway communication; Beacons built to be seen over thousands of light years are such. Altruistic Beacon builders will have to contend with other altruistic causes, just as humans do, so may select for economy of effort. Cost, spectral lines near 1 GHz and interstellar scintillation favor radiating frequencies substantially above the classic water hole. Therefore the transmission strategy for a distant, cost-conscious Beacon will be a rapid scan of the galactic plane, to cover the angular space. Such pulses will be infrequent events for the receiver. Such Beacons built by distant advanced, wealthy societies will have very different characteristics from what SETI researchers seek. Future searches should pay special attention to areas along the galactic disk where SETI searches have seen coherent signals that have not recurred on the limited listening time intervals we have used. We will need to wait for recurring events that may arrive in intermittent bursts. Several new SETI search strategies emerge from these ideas. We propose a new test for SETI Beacons, based on the Life Plane hypotheses.Comment: 19 pages, 1 Figur