Evolving Nutritional Strategies in the Presence of Competition: A Geometric Agent-Based Model

摘要: Access to nutrients is a key factor governing development, reproduction and ultimately fitness. Within social groups, contest-competition can fundamentally affect nutrient access, potentially leading reproductive asymmetry among individuals. Previously, agent-based models have been combined with the Geometric Framework of nutrition provide insight into how interactions one another. Here, we expand this modelling approach by incorporating evolutionary algorithms explore over acquisition might evolution animal nutritional strategies. Specifically, model tolerance excesses deficits when ingesting nutritionally imbalanced foods, which term ‘nutritional latitude’; higher degree latitude constitutes excess deficit. Our results indicate that transition between two alternative strategies occurs at moderate high levels competition. When competition low, individuals display low level regularly switch foods in search an optimum. food scarce intense, appears optimal, continue consume for longer periods before attempting alternative. However, relative balance within available also strongly influences what competition, if any, transitions these occur. imply skew groups play role diet breadth. We discuss integration agent-based, may be applied future studies further understand across ecological contexts.