Michael Taborsky

Ort: Hörsaal des Museum Alexander Koenig
Zeit:13.04.06, 17.15 Uhr

 

Michael Taborsky

Universität Bern

 

Reciprocity in Animals.

 

Since Trivers' (1971) influential paper reciprocity is conceived as one of several evolutionary mechanisms responsible for cooperation in animals. However, despite high expectations regarding the importance of this mechanism in social evolution, empirical evidence for its existence is scant. There is a disturbing discrepancy between the development of theoretical models in search of reciprocity mechanisms generating stable cooperation, and the information on reciprocity mechanisms causing cooperation among "true" animals. Is reciprocity a concept providing intellectual challenge but without practical importance?

 

Here I aim to show that reciprocity does indeed generate cooperation in animals, and I argue that the apparent discrepancy between theory and data originates from unrealistic expectations of mechanisms underlying animal behaviour.