Darwin recognized that natural selection could not favor a trait in one species solely for the
benefit of another species. The modern, selfish-gene view of the world suggests that …

Strains of rhizobia within a single species can have three different genetically determined
strategies. Mutualistic rhizobia provide their legume hosts with nitrogen. Parasitic rhizobia …

Explaining altruistic cooperation is one of the greatest challenges faced by sociologists,
economists, and evolutionary biologists. The problem is determining why an individual …

A challenge for evolutionary theory is to understand how cooperation can occur in the
presence of competition and cheating, a problem known as the tragedy of commons. Here I …

Multiple strains per plant and root-to-root (not seed-borne) transmission should favor
rhizobia that invest in their own reproduction, rather than symbiotic N2 fixation, as analogous …

Nature is full of examples in which individuals of different species cooperate with each other.
Some of these interactions (mutualisms) are crucial to the persistence of the world that we …

A classic example of a mutualism is the one between fig plants (Ficus) and their specialized
and obligate pollinating wasps. The wasps deposit eggs in fig ovules, which the larvae then …

The evolutionary persistence of symbiotic associations is a puzzle. Adaptation should
eliminate cooperative traits if it is possible to enjoy the advantages of cooperation without …

Notes: Estimate of dependency and longevity factors are accounted for at the end of the list.
References to relevant science research papers and books also follow the list. The definition …

Quiero agradecer en primer lugar a la Dra. Mercedes Fernández-Pascual, directora de la
presente Tesis, su ayuda en mis inicios en el mundo de la investigación y su contribución …