The Florida Scrub Jay (Credit: Mwanner, Wikimedia Commons)
Birds like Florida Scrub Jays and humans have something in common; they both make investments in raising children that aren’t there own, which at first seems to counter “survival of the fittest.” A new mathematical model shows that the benefits of helping outweigh the risks for species that are highly competitive for territory; helping your family maintain a prime patch of land is a great way to ensure that your genes are passed on.
Original research paper published in the journal Philosophical transaction of the Royal Society B on March 30, 2014.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
Geoff Wild, Western University
