Evolutionary stability and the rarity of grandmothering
The provision of intergenerational care, via the Grandmother Hypothesis, has been implicated in the evolution of post-fertile longevity, particularly in humans. However, if grandmothering does provide fitness benefits, a key question is why has it evolved so infrequently? We investigate this questio...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
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Wiley
2017
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| _version_ | 1797080560973119488 |
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| author | Field, J Bonsall, M |
| author_facet | Field, J Bonsall, M |
| author_sort | Field, J |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The provision of intergenerational care, via the Grandmother Hypothesis, has been implicated in the evolution of post-fertile longevity, particularly in humans. However, if grandmothering does provide fitness benefits, a key question is why has it evolved so infrequently? We investigate this question with a combination of life-history and evolutionary game theory. We derive simple eligibility and stability thresholds, both of which must be satisfied if intergenerational care is first to evolve and then to persist in a population. As one threshold becomes easier to fulfill, the other becomes more difficult, revealing a conflict between the two. As such, we suggest that, in fact, we should expect the evolution of grandmothering to be rare |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T01:01:54Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:8a039c39-8ff2-4759-8765-c9ae709dde5a |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T01:01:54Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:8a039c39-8ff2-4759-8765-c9ae709dde5a2022-03-26T22:28:28ZEvolutionary stability and the rarity of grandmotheringJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:8a039c39-8ff2-4759-8765-c9ae709dde5aSymplectic Elements at OxfordWiley2017Field, JBonsall, MThe provision of intergenerational care, via the Grandmother Hypothesis, has been implicated in the evolution of post-fertile longevity, particularly in humans. However, if grandmothering does provide fitness benefits, a key question is why has it evolved so infrequently? We investigate this question with a combination of life-history and evolutionary game theory. We derive simple eligibility and stability thresholds, both of which must be satisfied if intergenerational care is first to evolve and then to persist in a population. As one threshold becomes easier to fulfill, the other becomes more difficult, revealing a conflict between the two. As such, we suggest that, in fact, we should expect the evolution of grandmothering to be rare |
| spellingShingle | Field, J Bonsall, M Evolutionary stability and the rarity of grandmothering |
| title | Evolutionary stability and the rarity of grandmothering |
| title_full | Evolutionary stability and the rarity of grandmothering |
| title_fullStr | Evolutionary stability and the rarity of grandmothering |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolutionary stability and the rarity of grandmothering |
| title_short | Evolutionary stability and the rarity of grandmothering |
| title_sort | evolutionary stability and the rarity of grandmothering |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fieldj evolutionarystabilityandtherarityofgrandmothering AT bonsallm evolutionarystabilityandtherarityofgrandmothering |