A game-theoretic model of coalition formation among primates |
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Authors: | Giorgos Stamatopoulos Abhijit Sengupta Erin Vogel Charles Janson |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Economics, University of Crete, 74100 Rethymno, Crete, Greece;(2) Unilever Research, Sharnbrook, Bedford, MK44 1LQ, UK;(3) Department of Anthropology, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA;(4) Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4384, USA |
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Abstract: | This paper models the coalition formation process among primates as a sequential game. The population consists of individuals
having distinct social ranks which is determined by the individual’s resource holding potential. Each member of the population
is interested in gaining access to a food resource, either individually or via a coalition. At any given stage of the game,
a player can either propose a specific coalition or he can be proposed to in order to join one. Hence, the strategy of a player
consists of a sequence of decisions regarding who to propose to for the formation of a coalition and which proposals to accept
or reject. We derive the preferences of the players over the various coalition structures under the assumption that the probability
of a coalition to obtain the resource is given by a logistic distribution as a function of relative strengths of the players.
We show that, given the primates’ strategic behavior, a variety of different coalition structures can emerge in equilibrium.
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Keywords: | Subgroups Resource holding potential Rank hierarchy |
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