Evolutionary models of food sharing

rdf:langString Evolutionary models of food sharing

rdf:langString Evolutionary biologists have developed various theoretical models to explain the evolution of food-sharing behavior—"the unresisted transfer of food from one food-motivated individual to another"—among humans and other animals. Models of food-sharing are based upon general evolutionary theory. When applied to human behavior, these models are considered a branch of human behavioral ecology. Several types of food-sharing models have been developed, including kin selection, reciprocal altruism, tolerated theft, group cooperation, and costly signaling. Kin selection and reciprocal altruism models of food-sharing are based upon evolutionary concepts of kin selection and altruism. Since the theoretical basis of these models is formulated around reproductive fitness, one underlying assumption of these models is that greater resource accumulation increases reproductive fitness. Food-sharing has been theorized as an important development in early human evolution.