title: Social structure and indirect genetic effects: genetics of social behaviour.
abstract: The social environment modulates gene expression, physiology, behaviour and patterns of inheritance. For more than 50 years, this concept has been investigated using approaches that include partitioning the social component out of behavioural heritability estimates, studying maternal effects on offspring, and analysing dominance hierarchies. Recent advances have formalized this 'social environment effect' by providing a more nuanced approach to the study of social influences on behaviour while recognizing evolutionary implications. Yet, in most of these formulations, the dynamics of social interactions are not accounted for. Also, the reciprocity between individual behaviour and group-level interactions has been largely ignored. Consistent with evolutionary theory, the principles of social interaction are conserved across a broad range of taxa. While noting parallels in diverse organisms, this review uses Drosophila melanogaster as a case study to revisit what is known about social interaction paradigms. We highlight the benefits of integrating the history and pattern of interactions among individuals for dissecting molecular mechanisms that underlie social modulation of behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada.
authors.forename: Jade
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atallah
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada.
authors.forename: Joel D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D012919:Social Behavior; D012930:Social Dominance
keywords: aggression; indirect genetic effects; reproduction; social behaviour; social environment; social interaction networks