Social evolution: kin preference in a social microbe.
Kin recognition helps cooperation to evolve in many animals, but it is uncertain whether microorganisms can also use it to focus altruistic behaviour on relatives. Here we show that the social amoeba Dictyostelium purpureum prefers to form groups with its own kin in situations where some individuals die to assist others. By directing altruism towards kin, D. purpureum should generally avoid the costs of chimaerism experienced by the related D. discoideum.
Mehdiabadi
Natasha J
NJ
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA. njum@rice.edu
Jack
Chandra N
CN
Farnham
Tiffany Talley
TT
Platt
Thomas G
TG
Kalla
Sara E
SE
Shaulsky
Gad
G
Queller
David C
DC
Strassmann
Joan E
JE
D000533:Altruism; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002678:Chimera; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D012919:Social Behavior; D013170:Spores / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development