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A central problem in evolutionary biology is to determine whether and how social interactions contribute to natural selection. A key method for phenotypic data is social selection analysis, in which fitness effects from social partners contribute to selection only when there is a correlation between the traits of individuals and their social partners (nonrandom phenotypic assortment). However, there are inconsistencies in the use of social selection that center around the measurement of phenotypic assortment. Here, we use data analysis and simulations to resolve these inconsistencies, showing that: (i) not all measures of assortment are suitable for social selection analysis; and (ii) the interpretation of assortment, and how to detect nonrandom assortment, will depend on the scale at which it is measured. We discuss links to kin selection theory and provide a practical guide for the social selection approach.

Original publication

DOI

10.1111/evo.13365

Type

Journal article

Journal

Evolution

Publication Date

11/2017

Volume

71

Pages

2693 - 2702

Keywords

Contextual analysis, evolutionary quantitative genetics, kin selection, multilevel selection, social network analysis, social selection, Animals, Birds, Coleoptera, Genetic Fitness, Models, Genetic, Phenotype, Selection, Genetic, Social Behavior