Research on the evolution of social behaviour has been dominated by genetic relatedness for a long time; however, both recent empirical studies and theoretical concepts give growing evidence for ecological factors acting as very prominent additional or alternative driving forces in social evolution. Now the time is ripe to investigate similarities and differences in the course of socialevolution in different animals. 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. Deals with the key questions of sociobiology: If Darwin and Dawkins were right, the selection process in evolution would always have favoured egoism. Why, then, do so many animal groups show so many actions of altruism? Internationally leading scientists contribute to the clarification of these questions dealing with ‘their’ favourite animal groups INDICE: The evolution and ecology of cooperation – history and concepts.- The ecology of altruism in a clonal insect.- The evolutionary ecology of eusociality in Australian gall thrips: a 'model clades' approach.- The ecology and evolution of helping in hover wasps (Hymenoptera: Stenogastrinae).- Why are somany bees but so few digger wasps social? The effect of provisioning mode andhelper efficiency on the distribution of sociality among the Apoidea.- Socialplasticity: ecology, genetics, and the structure of ant societies.- The ecology of social evolution in termites.- Kin recognition mechanisms in cooperativebreeding systems: ecological causes and behavioral consequences of variation.- Social Ecology of Horses.- African mole-rats: eusociality, relatedness and ecological constraints.- Genetic and ecological determinants of primate social systems.- The ecology of social life: A synthesis.
- ISBN: 978-3-540-75956-0
- Editorial: Springer
- Encuadernacion: Cartoné
- Páginas: 266
- Fecha Publicación: 01/02/2008
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés