Division of labour as key driver of social evolution DOI Creative Commons
Michael Taborsky, Jennifer H. Fewell, Robert P. Gilles

et al.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1922)

Published: March 20, 2025

The social division of labour (DoL) has been renowned as a key driver the economic success human societies dating back to ancient philosophers such Plato (in Republic , ca 380 BCE), Xenophon Cyropaedia 370 BCE) and Aristotle Politics 350 BCE, Nicomachean Ethics 340 BCE). Over time, this concept evolved into cornerstone political thought, most prominently expressed in Smith Wealth Nations 1776). In his magnum opus, Adam posited that DoL caused greater increase production than any other factor history. There is little doubt immensely increases productive output, both humans organisms, but it less clear how comes about, organized what biological roots are ‘turbo enhancer’. We address these questions here using results from studies wide range organisms various modelling approaches. This article part theme issue ‘Division evolution’.

Language: Английский

The evolution of division of labour: preconditions and evolutionary feedback DOI
Michael Taborsky

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1922)

Published: March 20, 2025

Division of Labour (DoL) among group members reflects the pinnacle social complexity. The synergistic effects created by task specialization and sharing duties benefitting raise efficiency acquisition, use, management defence resources a fundamental step above potential individual agents. At same time, it may stabilize societies because involved interdependence collaborators. Here, I review conditions associated with emergence DoL, which include existence (i) sizeable groups enduring membership; (ii) improving performance; (iii) low conflict interest owing to correlated payoffs. This results in (iv) combination intra-individual consistency inter-individual variance carrying out different tasks, creates (v) some degree mutual members. DoL typically evolves ‘bottom-up’ without external regulatory forces, but latter gain importance at later stage evolution Owing feedback processes, cause effect are often difficult disentangle evolutionary trajectory towards structured well-developed their Nevertheless, entail one-way street complexity, retrogression getting increasingly more agents depend on each other progressing stages evolution. article is part theme issue ‘Division labour as key driver evolution’.

Language: Английский

Citations

3
Helping niches may trigger the development of task specialization and division of labour DOI
Barbara Taborsky

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1922)

Published: March 20, 2025

Multimember societies often exhibit Division of labour (DoL), where different individuals perform distinct tasks such as brood care, food acquisition and defence. While demand for exists at the group level, assigning them to specific members poses an organizational challenge. I propose ‘Helping Niche Specialization hypothesis’ (HeNS hypothesis), which suggests that cues indicating societal along with current distribution help, influence individual biases towards task preferences. This process may begin during early ontogeny, even before helping behaviours are actively performed. first introduce concept ‘helping niche’, a special form social niche. Next, outline procedures central HeNS hypothesis, represent stepwise process: (i) environmental bias preferences, arise already life, (ii) experience preferred reinforces these biases, (iii) learning-by-doing enhances performance, and/or (iv) reduced response thresholds make execution more likely, leading (v) differentiation specialization. Furthermore, discuss costs benefits specialization, how niches emerge development, conditions favour them, alternative pathways DoL. article is part theme issue ‘Division key driver evolution’.

Language: Английский

Citations

2
Group size and labour demands determine division of labour as a consequence of demographic stochasticity DOI Creative Commons
Christoph Netz, Tim W. Fawcett, Andrew D. Higginson

et al.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1922)

Published: March 20, 2025

Division of labour (DoL) is most prominently observed in eusocial insects but also occurs much smaller cooperative groups where all individuals could potentially perform any task. In such groups, previous experience and learning are the important mechanisms underlying specialization. Using behavioural simulations, we investigate dynamics task specialization various sizes with different constraints on choice We assume that choose tasks by weighing their own competence to a against group requirement how needs be performed. find even if based solely group’s rather than competence. As large less affected demographic stochasticity, they can more accurately distribute across tasks, become effective due reduced need switch between tasks. This effect enhanced must larger number However, from an evolutionary point view, develop greater responsiveness requirements those small when variation carries fitness penalty thus will readily Small seem able optimally over through increased switching, therefore evolve ignore imbalances up higher level before threshold crossed. Further, selection ability stronger groups. conclude reason why DoL may emerge might not group-size optimal decision-making, because lower degree distribution as consequence stochasticity. article part theme issue ‘Division key driver social evolution’.

Language: Английский

Citations

2
Division of labour as key driver of social evolution DOI Creative Commons
Michael Taborsky, Jennifer H. Fewell, Robert P. Gilles

et al.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1922)

Published: March 20, 2025

The social division of labour (DoL) has been renowned as a key driver the economic success human societies dating back to ancient philosophers such Plato (in Republic , ca 380 BCE), Xenophon Cyropaedia 370 BCE) and Aristotle Politics 350 BCE, Nicomachean Ethics 340 BCE). Over time, this concept evolved into cornerstone political thought, most prominently expressed in Smith Wealth Nations 1776). In his magnum opus, Adam posited that DoL caused greater increase production than any other factor history. There is little doubt immensely increases productive output, both humans organisms, but it less clear how comes about, organized what biological roots are ‘turbo enhancer’. We address these questions here using results from studies wide range organisms various modelling approaches. This article part theme issue ‘Division evolution’.

Language: Английский

Citations

1