engleski

Defusing the Tensions of Living in Groups: From Aggression to Social Dominance

Social hierarchies evolved as mechanisms to reduce the risks inherent in group living, either by consensual distribution of resources, or by diminishing the need for, and the dangers of, future conflicts. Despite its eventual complexity, hierarchical structure often emerges as a result of simple behavioral decisions that shape individual aggressive interactions. Strategies that optimize the ratio between the costs of fighting on one side, and the potential benefits of high social status on the other, should therefore be strongly favored by selection. In animal social systems, winning in a fight often leads to greater propensity for future wins, while losing begets losing. Such effects lie at the very heart of a hierarchy formation ; but why should all individuals abide by these social conventions? Is there a universal set of rules that can maximize the fitness of an individual regardless of its eventual position on the hierarchical ladder? What can the subordinates do to improve their situation, and how should the dominants respond to prevent this from happening? Will the cheaters benefit from not playing by the rules? To provide answers to these questions, I designed a series of models aimed at unraveling the linksbetween decision-making processes that govern aggression and the resulting social structure. The results of these studies offer insights into the role of behavioral decisions that mediate intraspecies aggression, as well as the evolutionary utility of social stratification as such.

Dominance; Hierarchy; Aggression; Sociality

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