From inter-group conflict to inter-group cooperation: insights from social insects

TY - JOUR

T1 - From inter-group conflict to inter-group cooperation: insights from social insects

AU - Rodrigues, Antonio M M

AU - Barker, Jessica

AU - Robinson, Elva Joan Hilda

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PY - 2022/4/4

Y1 - 2022/4/4

N2 - Conflict between social groups is widespread, often imposing significant costs across multiple groups. The social insects make an ideal system for investigating inter-group relationships, because their interaction types span the full harming-helping continuum, from aggressive conflict, to mutual tolerance, to cooperation between spatially separate groups. Here we review inter-group conflict in the social insects, and the various means by which they reduce the costs of conflict, including individual or colony- level avoidance, ritualistic behaviours, and even group fusion. At the opposite extreme of the harming- helping continuum, social insect groups may peacefully exchange resources and thus cooperate between groups in a manner rare outside human societies. We discuss the role of population viscosity in favouring inter-group cooperation. We present a model encompassing intra- and inter-group interactions, and local and long-distance dispersal. We show that in this multi-level population structure, the increased likelihood of cooperative partners being kin is balanced by increased kin competition, such that neither cooperation (helping) nor conflict (harming) is favoured. This model provides a baseline context in which other intra- and inter-group processes act, tipping the balance towards or away from conflict. We discuss future directions for research into the ecological factors shaping the evolution of inter-group interactions.

AB - Conflict between social groups is widespread, often imposing significant costs across multiple groups. The social insects make an ideal system for investigating inter-group relationships, because their interaction types span the full harming-helping continuum, from aggressive conflict, to mutual tolerance, to cooperation between spatially separate groups. Here we review inter-group conflict in the social insects, and the various means by which they reduce the costs of conflict, including individual or colony- level avoidance, ritualistic behaviours, and even group fusion. At the opposite extreme of the harming- helping continuum, social insect groups may peacefully exchange resources and thus cooperate between groups in a manner rare outside human societies. We discuss the role of population viscosity in favouring inter-group cooperation. We present a model encompassing intra- and inter-group interactions, and local and long-distance dispersal. We show that in this multi-level population structure, the increased likelihood of cooperative partners being kin is balanced by increased kin competition, such that neither cooperation (helping) nor conflict (harming) is favoured. This model provides a baseline context in which other intra- and inter-group processes act, tipping the balance towards or away from conflict. We discuss future directions for research into the ecological factors shaping the evolution of inter-group interactions.

KW - class-structure

KW - inclusive fitness

KW - intergroup conflict

KW - intergroup cooperation

KW - population viscosity

KW - dispersal

KW - local dispersal

KW - movement

KW - patch model

KW - spatial model

KW - social insects

KW - ants

KW - bees

KW - wasps

KW - termites

KW - conflict

KW - cooperation

KW - tolerance

U2 - 10.1098/rstb.2021.0466

DO - 10.1098/rstb.2021.0466

M3 - Article

SN - 1471-2970

JO - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

JF - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

ER -