PhD Research Project

My Shortlist0

Why are humans so altruistic? Modelling the effect of spatial structure on the spread of cooperative behavioural strategies

Institution:

University of York

Dept/School/Faculty:

Department of Biology

PhD Supervisor:

Dr P Mayhew

Co-Supervisor:

Dr C Dytham

Application Deadline:

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Availability:

Self-Funded PhD Students Only

PhD Research Project

Click here to visit the University of York website

Many behaviours appear paradoxical from a naive Darwinian perspective because they come at a cost to individual fitness. The explanation of altruism is perhaps the most prominent of these, and evolutionary biologists have provided two general solutions: kin selection and reciprocal altruism. However, humans frequently behave altruistically in ways that appear at odds with both these solutions, for example through costly altruistic acts towards strangers. The spread of such behaviours has been alternatively explained through group selection, but this is controversial as more selfish individuals should be at an advantage. This PhD project will use agent based modelling and game theory to explore the ecological conditions under which indiscriminate altruism could spread through human populations, with particular emphasis on spatial structuring. It will therefore ask under what conditions individual or group selection provide necessary or sufficient explanations for one of humanity’s unique traits. It will provide training in state-of-the-art theoretical and modelling techniques and in questions of relevance to the behavioural, evolutionary and social sciences.

Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 Results

Unit of Assessment: Biological Sciences				What is the RAE?
FTE Category A Staff Submitted	4*	3*	2*	1*	U/C
57.51	25%	35%	30%	10%	0%

FindAPhD Scholarship available for this PhD opportunity!

We are offering nine Postgraduate Study Scholarships for students wishing to start a PhD in autumn 2013 at any European (EU) institution. Click here for more information on how to register to win a FindAPhD Scholarship.