BIOLOGY 1M03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Female Vampire, Brain Size, Starch
6 May 2019
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How can evolution explain helping others: mutualism (+/+), altruism (-/+), selfishness (+/-), spite (-/-, reciprocity (for non-kin) If the fitness benefit to the recipient is greater than the fitness cost to the donor, both participants will gain if the help is reciprocated at a later date. If not reciprocated, help should be withheld in future interactions: possible detection and punishment of cheaters, e. g. Food sharing leads to increased sociality and other forms of reciprocity. Smart negotiators may gain fitness within social groups: may be constraints in brain size increase (slows down evolution) Temperature sensitivity of the brain: brains are sensitive to high temperatures, having a large brain may be limited by temperature sensitivity. Shifting from a plant-based diet to one that includes meat increases chances of being able to sustain a powerful brain: one human activity that is not shared by any other species is cooking our food (controlling fire)
