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Darwin and the Evolution of Human Cooperation

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Abstract

Humans are characterized by a high propensity for cooperation. The emergence and stability of this trait is one of the hottest topics in evolutionary game theory, and leads to a wide variety of models offering a rich source of complex dynamics based on social interactions. This chapter offers an overview of different approaches to this topic (such as kin selection, group selection, direct and indirect reciprocity) and relates it to some of the views that Darwin expressed over 150 years ago. It turns out that, in many cases, Darwin displayed a remarkably lucid intuition of the major issues affecting the complex mechanisms promoting the evolution of cooperation.

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Correspondence to Karl Sigmund .

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Sigmund, K., Hilbe, C. (2011). Darwin and the Evolution of Human Cooperation. In: Meyer-Ortmanns, H., Thurner, S. (eds) Principles of Evolution. The Frontiers Collection. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18137-5_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18137-5_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-18136-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-18137-5

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