Mutualisms, the exchange of resources or services between species for a mutual net benefit, play a critical role in the survival and reproduction of many species. However, the very existence of mutualisms is puzzling, since these interactions are often exploited by other, non-rewarding species. In this research project, computer simulations will be used to address the question of how mutualist and exploiter species can coexist as each species evolves. The focus will be on analyzing whether mutualists can restrict the costs of exploitation and even select for less harmful exploiters by increasing the strength of competition for rewards.
The evolution and persistence of cooperation, especially between species, is one of the largest mysteries in biology. This work will advance our understanding of the persistence of cooperation between species, by investigating its ecological and evolutionary dynamics and testing an intriguing mechanism that has been proposed to prevent exploitation from extinguishing cooperation. Furthermore, analysis of the sensitivity of simulation results to different environmental conditions will generate predictions about the effects of factors such as environmental change and species invasion on mutualism persistence. The project provides training at the interface of biology, mathematics, and computer science for graduate and undergraduate students, and fosters collaboration between researchers at the University of Arizona and Duke University.
