Evolutionary transition through a new multilevel selection model

Most multilevel selection models in the literature focus on addressing the evolution of cooperation. There is, however, another aspect of multilevel selection theory. It might be able to provide explanations for evolutionary transitions, which involve the creation of higher level complexes out of simpler elements. Here, we propose a multilevel selection model to support evolutionary transitions. This model employs a genetic operator called “cooperation” to build the hierarchical structure used in multilevel selection theory, and applies two types of multilevel selection to achieve transitions. Our experiments on an extended N-player Prisoner’s Dilemma game demonstrate that groups with all required skills emerge from a population of independent individuals, no matter whether skills are equally rewarded or not. Our experiments confirm that both types of multilevel selection mentioned are relevant to evolutionary transitions.