creators_name: Enquist, Magnus
creators_name: Arak, Anthony
creators_name: Ghirlanda, Stefano
creators_name: Wachtmeister, Carl-Adam
type: journalp
datestamp: 2006-12-08
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:56:43
metadata_visibility: show
title: Spectacular pehnomena and limits to rationality in genetic and cultural evolution
ispublished: pub
subjects: bio-etho
subjects: bio-ani-cog
subjects: bio-socio
subjects: bio-evo
subjects: comp-sci-neural-nets
subjects: bio-theory
subjects: bio-ani-behav
full_text_status: public
keywords: rationality, genetic evolution, cultural evolution, ritualization
abstract: In studies of both animal and human behaviour, game theory is used as a tool for understanding strategies that appear in interactions between individuals. Game theory focuses on adaptive behaviour, which can be attained only at evolutionary equilibrium. Here we suggest that behaviour appearing during interactions is often outside the scope of such analysis. In many types of interaction, conflicts of interest exist between players, fueling the evolution of manipulative strategies. Such strategies evolve out of equilibrium, commonly appearing as spectacular morphology or behaviour with obscure meaning, to which other players may react in non-adaptive, irrational way approach, and outline the conditions in which evolutionary equilibria cannot be maintained. Evidence from studies of biological interactions seems to support the view that behaviour is often not at equilibrium. This also appears to be the case for many human cultural traits, which have spread rapidly despite the fact that they have a negative influence on reproduction.
date: 2002
date_type: published
publication: Transactions of the Royal Society
volume: B357
pagerange: 1585-1594
refereed: TRUE
citation:   Enquist, Magnus and Arak, Anthony and Ghirlanda, Stefano and Wachtmeister, Carl-Adam  (2002) Spectacular pehnomena and limits to rationality in genetic and cultural evolution.  [Journal (Paginated)]     
document_url: http://cogprints.org/5277/1/enquist_arak_ghirlanda_wachtmeister2002.pdf