V. Life's Corporeal Evolution Develops, Encodes and Organizes Itself: An Earthtwinian Genesis Synthesis

5. Cooperative Member/Group Societies

Sinhuber, Michael and Nicholas Ouellette. Phase Coexistence in Insect Swarms. Physical Review Letters. 119/178003, 2017. Stanford University, Environmental Complexity Lab researchers (search Ouellette) contribute to realizations that such dynamic creaturely assemblies can be traced to and explained by physical phenomena. Here statistical and thermodynamic principles find application so as to reveal phase transition states. An avail is made of “persistent homology,” along with analytical Betti numbers (see below). Of interest within this website, one may find both these methods cited from interstellar media to neural networks to literary works. I heard Ouellette speak at UM Amherst in 2014 when at Yale where he said that he chose midges for his lab because wildebeest herds or bird flocks would not be practical in New Haven. But it occurred that he assumed, as now the common view, that it did not matter which animal for the same independent mathematics are in play in every case.

Animal aggregations are visually striking, and as such are popular examples of collective behavior in the natural world. Quantitatively demonstrating the collective nature of such groups, however, remains surprisingly difficult. Inspired by thermodynamics, we applied topological data analysis to laboratory insect swarms and found evidence for emergent, material-like states. We show that the swarms consist of a core “condensed” phase surrounded by a dilute “vapor” phase. These two phases coexist in equilibrium, and maintain their distinct macroscopic properties even though individual insects pass freely between them. We further define a pressure and chemical potential to describe these phases, extending theories of active matter to aggregations of macroscopic animals and laying the groundwork for a thermodynamic description of collective animal groups. (Abstract)

Persistent homology is a method for computing topological features of a space at different spatial resolutions. More persistent features are detected over a wide range of length and are deemed more likely to represent true features of the underlying space, rather than artifacts of sampling, noise, or particular choice of parameters. In algebraic topology, the Betti numbers are used to distinguish topological spaces based on the connectivity of n-dimensional simplicial complexes. (Wikipedia)

Sinhuber, Raphael, et al. Self-organization in Natural Swarms od Synchronous Fireflies. Science Advances. 7/28, 2021. Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado biobehavior researchers including Orit Peleg provide a further sophisticated analysis via 3D perceptions of this coordinated phenomena which natural mathematic interactive rules organize. See also An Equation of State for Insect Swarms by Michael Sinhuber, et al in Nature Scientific Reports (11/3773, 2021.)

Fireflies flashing is a sure sign of animal collective behavior and biological synchrony. To elucidate synchronization mechanisms and inform theoretical models, we recorded the collective display of thousands of Photinus carolinus fireflies in natural swarms. At low firefly density, flashes appear uncorrelated. At high density, the swarm produces synchronous flashes within periodic bursts. Our results suggest that fireflies interact through a dynamic network of visual connections defined by terrain and vegetation. This model illuminates how a certain environment shapes self-organization and collective behavior. (Sarfati abstract excerpt)

Collective behaviour in flocks, crowds, and swarms occurs throughout the biological world. Animal groups are generally assumed to be adapted by evolution to achieve vital functions, so there is much interest for bio-inspired usages. Here we show that collective groups can be described by a thermodynamic framework and define a set of state variables and an equation of state for midge swarms. Our findings provide a new way of quantifying collective groups so to serve future bio-engineering design. (Sinhuber abstract excerpt)

Sivaram, Abhishek and Venkat Venkatasubramanian. Arbitrage Equilibrium, Invariance, and the Emergence of Spontaneous Order in the Dynamics of Birds Flocking. arXiv:2207.13743. A Columbia University PhD student and a senior chemical engineering professor contribute systemic insights into the independent formative forces that engender these natural topologies. See also A Unified Theory of Emergent Equilibrium Phenomena in Active and Passive Matter by Venkat V., et al (2206.09096) which adds a “statistical teleodynamics” quality, and Dynamics of Swarmalators by Gourab Sar and Dibakar Ghosh (2206.09096) for a similar contribution.

Active biological matter, such as bacterial colonies and bird flocks, is being found to exhibit self-organized dynamical behavior via inputs from hydrodynamics, kinetic theory, and non-equilibrium statistical physics. But for biological agents, these methods do not recognize the vital feature of survival-driven purpose and the pursuit of maximum utility. Here, we propose a novel game-theoretic framework to find that the bird-like agents self-organize into flocks so to approach a stable arbitrage equilibrium of equal effective utilities. Our theory is not limited to just birds flocking but can be adapted for the self-organizing dynamics of other active matter systems. (Abstract excerpt)

This kind of universality is particularly striking, which prompts us to close with an apropos quote from the Richard Feynman: ”Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.” It appears that the emergence of spontaneous order via self-organizing stable arbitrage equilibria is such a thread. (8)

Sober, Elliott and David Sloan Wilson. Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1998. Carefully-reasoned philosophical and scientific arguments for reciprocal altruism among members of a society and a consequent group selection.

Solomatin, Sergey, et al. Implications of Molecular Heterogeneity for the Cooperativity of Biological Macromolecules. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. 18/6, 2011. Stanford University biochemists seek to accord such molecular diversities with a perceived organismic penchant for mutual associations. An “atomic-level mechanistic understanding” of “cooperative behaviors” is advanced toward an explanation. Our interest is to note a perception even at this rudimentary phase of the presence of these reciprocal activities.

Cooperativity, a universal property of biological macromolecules, is typically characterized by a Hill slope, which can provide fundamental information about binding sites and interactions. We demonstrate, through simulations and single-molecule FRET (smFRET) experiments, that molecular heterogeneity lowers bulk cooperativity from the intrinsic value for the individual molecules. As heterogeneity is common in smFRET experiments, appreciation of its influence on fundamental measures of cooperativity is critical for deriving accurate molecular models. (Abstract) In conclusion, we have demonstrated, through simulation and the first reported experimental single-molecule titrations, how molecular hetrogeneity distorts cooperativity observed in ensemble measurements.

Sosna, Matthew, et al. Individual and Collective Encoding of Risk in Animal Groups. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116/20556, 2019. A seven person group from Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Arizona State (Bryan Daniels), Humboldt University and MPI Animal Behavior (Iain Couzin) well quantify that a dynamic mutual interactivity of member creatures within their overall flock, troop, clan,, pod or herd and serves an optimum survival. Each entity is seen to possess a vital degree of autonomy and liberty rather than subservience to a communal totality. Once again, a complementary, ubuntu-like reciprocity seems to prevail across Metazoan species.

Many biological systems exhibit an emergent ability to process information about their environment. This collective cognition occurs due to the behavior of components and of their interactions, yet the relative importance of the two is often hard to disentangle. Here, we combined experiments and modeling to study how fish schools encode information about the external environment. We find that risk is mainly encoded in the physical structure of groups, which individuals modulate to augment or dampen behavioral cascades. We show that this modulation causes overall reactions to spread and allows collective systems to be responsive to their environments. (Abstract)

Sridhar, Vivek, et al. The Geometry of Decision-Making in Individuals and Collectives. PNAS. 118/50, 2021. This December entry by eight systems scientists at MPI Animal Behavior (Iain Couzin), University of Konstanz, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, University of Waterloo, Canada and Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel is a good example of the present degree to which creaturely behaviors and movements can be seen to rise from and express a common independent, mathematical source. When we first set up this section circa 2002 any dimension like this was hardly considered. Two decades of collaborative worldwise science studies like this have by now proven such a pervasive, genomic-like occasion.

Almost all animals must make decisions on the move. Here we cite an approach that integrates theory and high-throughput experiments (using state-of-the-art virtual reality), which reveals that there exist fundamental geometrical principles that result from the inherent interplay between movement and organisms’ internal representation of space. We find that animals spontaneously reduce the world into a series of sequential binary decisions, a response that facilitates effective decision-making and is robust both to the number of options available and to context, such as whether options are static or mobile (e.g., other animals). We present evidence that these same principles apply across scales of biological organization, from individual to collective decision-making. (Significance)

We demonstrate that, across taxa and contexts, a consideration of the time-varying geometry during spatial decision-making provides key insights that help understand how and why animals move the way they do. The features revealed here are highly robust, and occur in decision-making processes across various scales of biological organization from individuals to animal collectives suggesting they are fundamental features of spatiotemporal computation. (Conclusion)

Steen, David, et al. Conceptualizing Communities as Natural Entities. Biology & Philosophy. Online September, 2017. Steen, Auburn University, Kyle Barrett, Clemson University, Ellen Clarke, Oxford University and Craig Guyer, University of Leeds, propose that the pervasive presence of creaturely group assemblies merit more recognition and attention than they have received with regard to effective ecosystem remedial sustainability.

Recent work has suggested that conservation efforts such as restoration ecology and invasive species eradication are largely value-driven pursuits. Concurrently, changes to global climate are forcing ecologists to consider if and how collections of species will migrate, and whether or not we should be assisting such movements. Herein, we propose a philosophical framework which addresses these issues by utilizing ecological and evolutionary interrelationships to delineate individual ecological communities. Specifically, our Evolutionary Community Concept (ECC) recognizes unique collections of species that interact and have co-evolved in a given geographic area. Specifically, our framework allows us to establish a biological and science-driven context for making decisions regarding the restoration of systems and the removal of exotic species. The ECC also has implications for how we view shifts in species assemblages due to climate change and it advances our understanding of various ecological concepts, such as resilience. (Abstract)

Sterelny, Kim, et al, eds. Cooperation and Its Evolution. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2024. With KS, Richard Joyce, Brett Calcott, Ben Fraser and Richard Joyce as editors, this latest collection of 26 chapters covers every aspect of animal and human behaviors that involve, foster, or may impede communal groupings. Authors include Joseph Henrich, Deborah Gorden, David Krakauer, Jessica Flack and Nicholas Shea.

This collection reports on the latest research on an increasingly pivotal issue for evolutiary biology: cooperation. The chapters are written from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and utilize research tools that range from empirical survey to conceptual modeling. Part I ("Agents and Environments") investigates how social cooperation in organizations make it profitable and stable. Part II ("Agents and Mechanisms") focuses on how proximate devices appear and operate in the evolutionary process and its trajectories. The book demonstrates the ubiquity of questions regarding cooperation in evolutionary biology: the generation and division of the profits of cooperation; transitions in individuality and levels of selection from gene to organism.

Sterelny, Kim, et al, eds. Cooperation and Its Evolution. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2013. Akin to the 2013 MIT volume From Groups to Individuals (search Bouchard), the theoretic turn to admit persistent, mutually shared, support between animal members as a survival factor has now gained wide agreement. The Introduction by editors KS, Richard Joyce, Brett Calcott, and Ben Fraser is The Ubiquity, Complexity, and Diversity of Cooperation, see the second quote. A notable aspect of the book is to situate animal propensities to form viable assemblies within the major transition scale, whence a reciprocity of competition and cooperation fosters emergent levels of individuality. Typical chapters are “Culture-Gene Coevolution, Large-Scale Cooperation, and Human Social Psychology” by Maciek Chudek, Wanying Zhao, and Joseph Henrich, “What can Imitation do for Cooperation?” Cecilia Heyes, and “Timescales, Symmetry, and Uncertainty Reduction in the Origins of Hierarchy in Biological Systems” by Jessica Flack, Doug Erwin, Tanya Elliot, and David Krakauer.

This collection reports on the latest research on an increasingly pivotal issue for evolutionary biology: cooperation. The chapters explore a wide taxonomic range, concentrating on bacteria, social insects, and, especially, humans. Part I ("Agents and Environments") investigates the connections of social cooperation in social organizations to the conditions that make cooperation profitable and stable, focusing on the interactions of agent, population, and environment. Part II ("Agents and Mechanisms") focuses on how proximate mechanisms emerge and operate in the evolutionary process and how they shape evolutionary trajectories. Throughout the book, certain themes emerge that demonstrate the ubiquity of questions regarding cooperation in evolutionary biology: the generation and division of the profits of cooperation; transitions in individuality; levels of selection, from gene to organism; and the "human cooperation explosion" that makes our own social behavior particularly puzzling from an evolutionary perspective. (Publisher)

One overarching trend in the history of life has been an increase in complexity: from prebiotic and marginally biotic systems of various kinds, to prokaryotes, eukaryotes, multicellular organisms, and social collectives. Buss, Maynard Smith, and Szathmary all pointed out that this macroevolutionary pattern of increasing maximal complexity depended on a series of revolutions in cooperation, as more complex evolutionary agents (metazoans, eusocial insects colonies) emerged out of cooperatively interacting simpler ones. Groups become new evolutionary individuals as the members of those groups go through an evolutionary transition from independence through contingent cooperation to mandatory cooperation. Transitions in individuality, then, seem to imply a shift in the unit of selection: Composite agents evolve from collectives, but composites themselves are differentially fit, mot merely groups of individuals with competing fitness interests. (5)

Strassmann, Joan and David Queller. The Social Organism. Evolution. 64/3, 2010. Rice University evolutionary ecologists contribute to the shifting paradigm from only competition rules to new appreciations by way of scientific theories and philosophic musings of how actually pervasive and palliative across nested cellular and creaturely kingdoms is cooperative behavior.

We propose that what makes an organism is nearly complete cooperation, with strong control of intraorganism conflicts, and no affiliations above the level of the organism as unified as those at the organism level. Organisms can be made up of like units, which we call fraternal organisms, or different units, making them egalitarian organisms. Previous definitions have concentrated on the factors that favor high cooperation and low conflict, or on the adapted outcomes of organismality. Our approach brings these definitions together, conceptually unifying our understanding of organismality. Although the organism is a concerted cluster of adaptations, nearly all directed toward the same end, some conflict may remain. To understand such conflict, we extend Leigh's metaphor of the parliament of genes to include parties with different interests and committees that work on particular tasks. (605)

Strogatz, Stephen and Iain Cousin. How Is Flocking Like Computing? Quanta. March 29, 2024. A transcript from an interview in The Joy of Why series between the Cornell University complexity theorist and a Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior senior researcher (search each). The subject was the state of ongoing studies about evolutionary and environmental groups which seem to assemble and persist in similar kind from active particles all the way through every creaturely form onto our own neural and social selves. Once again into the 2020s, a nested, recurrent consistency of one same pattern and process is being defined, filled in and confirmed. As the quotes cite, the constant phenomenon is lately realized to imply and arise from an independent mathematical, program-like code-script source.

Well, that’s one of the most amazing things about studying collective behavior. It’s central to a widest range of organisms from the simplest placozoa animal, a swarm of cells, moving like a bird flock or a fish school — up through the invertebrates, like ants, that form swarms, to vertebrates, such as schooling fish, flocking birds, herding ungulates, and primates, including ourselves — humans.

And so, this is one of the things I find most remarkable about collective behavior, is that even though the system properties, whether you’re a cell or whether you’re a bird, are very different, when you look at the whole phenomena, the mathematics that underlie this actually turn out to be very similar. And so we can find these, sort of, what are called universal properties that connect these different, apparently disparate systems.

But we’re beginning to understand is that the common feature they share is computation. It’s that these entities gather together to compute about their environment in ways that they can’t compute on their own. And so, there’s these deep questions that we’re beginning to address about computation and the emergence of complex life which relates to what we’ve learned from physical systems close to a phase transition. (Iain Couzin)

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