Read on Twitter
1/15 E.O. Wilson argues that cooperative behavior is the reason for the dominance of social organisms on Earth (social conquest hypothesis). However, there is no formal framework explaining why some social organisms are successful while others are not. #AnimBehav2021
2/15 To understand the ecological consequences of cooperation, it is necessary to understand the ecological causes that promote the evolution of cooperative behavior. Resolving the paradox of environmental quality and sociality will be a key step! #AnimBehav2021
3/15 We propose the dual-benefits framework for resolving this paradox, including two types of ecological drivers– resource-defense benefits deriving from group‐defended resources and collective-action benefits resulting from social cooperation among group members. #AnimBehav2021
4/15 Distinguishing the cooperatively breeding behaviors caused by different drivers can help us predict the kinship structure, group stability, and ecological consequences (e.g., population size and distribution) of cooperative breeding (Shen et al., 2017). #AnimBehav2021
5/15 We further used an individual-based model to show that stable/benign environments promote the evolution of resource defense (RD) cooperation. And harsh/fluctuating environments promote the evolution of the collective action (CA) cooperation. #AnimBehav2021
6/15 Our model also confirms that cooperative behavior (CA) evolved in harsh environments will positively affect the species range size and population size. However, RD benefits evolved in stable environments do not have the same effect. #AnimBehav2021
7/15 We used burying beetles to test the ecological causes and consequences of cooperative breeding. Burying beetles are ideal systems because many species exhibit intraspecific variation in social behaviors along environmental gradients. #AnimBehav2021
8/15 We conducted field experiments along Mt. Hehuan in Taiwan, from 1600m to 2800m above sea level. We found that Individuals are more cooperative in preparing the carcass in hotter environments, where the pressure of blowflies competition is higher. #AnimBehav2021
9/15 Lab exp. showed beetles in carcasses that have been treated by the blowflies become more cooperative. Amazingly, beetles even became cooperative when they smelled the DMDS molecules emitted by the decomposing carcass digested by blowflies (Chen et al. 2020). #AnimBehav2021
10/15 Through field group size manipulation experiments, we found that burying beetles that cooperate to fight against blowflies (a type of CA benefit) can distribute to hotter and lower elevations through cooperation, as predicted by our theoretical model. #AnimBehav2021
11/15 We also conducted comparative studies, replicating previous studies, and found that hornbills evolved cooperative breeding behaviors in stable environments. In contrast, starlings tend to evolve cooperative breeding behaviors in fluctuating environments. #AnimBehav2021
12/15 As predicted by our model, starlings evolved cooperative behaviors in harsh environments, resulting in a greater species range size for cooperative species than non-cooperative species, with no such differences for hornbills. #AnimBehav2021
13/15 We extended the study to all bird species. Again, we found that cooperatively breeding (CB) species evolved in harsh environments have larger species range sizes than non-CB species, while CB species evolved in stable environments have no such differences. #AnimBehav2021
14/15 We also found that cooperatively breeding species evolving in stable environments tend to form kin groups. In contrast, cooperatively breeding species that evolve in harsh environments can form kin or non-kin groups, as predicted by our model. #AnimBehav2021
15/15 Thanks @AnimBehSociety and @asab_tweets, @SinicaFans for funding, thanks to my mentors, Steve Emlen, Kern Reeve, and Rufus Johnstone, my collaborators, especially @DustRubenstein, and my lab members, for their guidance, support, and help. #AnimBehav2021
