The role of individual choice in the evolution of social complexity

Abstract

Constant re-evaluation of social affiliations and shifting social network structures can profoundly affect the adaptive fitness of individuals within a population, as well as yielding super-additive effects felt by the population as a whole. To evaluate the impact of different social affiliation choices, and the relative ability of individuals to correctly assess the success of other individuals, we have created a set of mathematical models based on network centrality measures. We choose the hypothetical measures of " popularity", "closeness" and "betweenness" to examine the resulting self-organizations of social groups. Our findings suggest that some different types of social behaviors can lead to the same levels of stability and organizational success, suggesting the possibility that complex organizations could have evolved from simpler ones without any change in the selective pressures acting on the population. © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2007.