Social evolution theory for microorganisms
West SA, Griffin AS, Gardner A, Diggle SP · Nature Reviews Microbiology 2006
Review
Key finding
Cooperation, spite and cheating in microbes follow the same evolutionary rules as animal social behaviour.
In plain language
This applies the mathematics of animal social behaviour to bacteria and shows the same logic holds. It is the strongest formal basis for treating microbial behaviour as genuinely social.
How much weight this carries
Repeatedly demonstrated, with agreement across independent groups.
Cite or read it
West SA, Griffin AS, Gardner A, Diggle SP (2006). Social evolution theory for microorganisms. Nature Reviews Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1461