Kin recognition and competition in plants

Kin recognition in plants?

Kin recognition in plants: a mysterious behaviour unsolved.

Chemical communication plays an integral part in the rhizosphere and in larger ecological processes. The idea of kin recognition and perception of kin-specific chemical signals have long been recognized in microbial and animal models. By contrast, general chemical communication between plants has been well established, especially with regard to the negative communication between plants of two d...

Kin recognition in rattlesnakes.

Snakes are often regarded as the least social of all vertebrate groups, but this assumption stems from the fact that they are secretive and difficult to observe in nature, rather than direct evidence. Recent studies have revealed a surprising degree of social complexity in snakes. Here, I examine the ability of captive-raised timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) to recognize siblings by meas...

The components of kin competition.

It is well known that competition among kin alters the rate and often the direction of evolution in subdivided populations. Yet much remains unclear about the ecological and demographic causes of kin competition, or what role life cycle plays in promoting or ameliorating its effects. Using the multilevel Price equation, I derive a general equation for evolution in structured populations under a...

Kin competition and the evolution of cooperation.

Kin and multilevel selection theories predict that genetic structure is required for the evolution of cooperation. However, local competition among relatives can limit cooperative benefits, antagonizing the evolution of cooperation. We show that several ecological factors determine the extent to which kin competition constrains cooperative benefits. In addition, we argue that cooperative acts t...