title: Evolutionary stability of ecological hierarchy.
abstract: A self-similar hierarchical solution that is both dynamically and evolutionarily stable is found for the multidimensional Lotka-Volterra equation with a single chain of prey-predator relations. This gives a simple and natural explanation to the key features of hierarchical ecosystems, such as its ubiquity, pyramidal population distribution, and higher aggressiveness among higher trophic levels.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physics, Kochi University of Technology, Tosa Yamada, Kochi 782-8502, Japan. taksu.cheon@kochi-tech.ac.jp
authors.forename: Taksu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cheon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017753:Ecosystem; D008954:Models, Biological; D011235:Predatory Behavior