Evolution of Cooperative Cross-Feeding Could Be Less Challenging Than Originally Thought

Sylvie Estrela and Ivana Gudelj

PLOS ONE, 2010, vol. 5, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: The act of cross-feeding whereby unrelated species exchange nutrients is a common feature of microbial interactions and could be considered a form of reciprocal altruism or reciprocal cooperation. Past theoretical work suggests that the evolution of cooperative cross-feeding in nature may be more challenging than for other types of cooperation. Here we re-evaluate a mathematical model used previously to study persistence of cross-feeding and conclude that the maintenance of cross-feeding interactions could be favoured for a larger parameter ranges than formerly observed. Strikingly, we also find that large populations of cross-feeders are not necessarily vulnerable to extinction from an initially small number of cheats who receive the benefit of cross-feeding but do not reciprocate in this cooperative interaction. This could explain the widespread cooperative cross-feeding observed in natural populations.

Date: 2010
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0014121

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014121

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