Coevolution of relationship and interaction in cooperative dynamical multiplex networks

Xiong et al., 2024.

While actors in a population can interact with anyone else freely, social relations significantly influence our inclination toward particular individuals. The consequence of such interactions, however, may also form the intensity of our relations established earlier. These dynamical processes are captured via a coevolutionary model staged in multiplex networks with two distinct layers. In a so-called relationship layer, the weights of edges among players may change in time as a consequence of games played in the alternative interaction layer. As an reasonable assumption, bilateral cooperation confirms while mutual defection weakens these weight factors. Importantly, the fitness of a player, which basically determines the success of a strategy imitation, depends not only on the payoff collected from interactions, but also on the individual relationship index calculated from the mentioned weight factors of related edges. Within the framework of weak prisoner’s dilemma situation, we explore the potential outcomes of the mentioned coevolutionary process where we assume different topologies for relationship layer. We find that higher average degree of the relationship graph is more beneficial to maintain cooperation in regular graphs, but the randomness of links could be a decisive factor in harsh situations. Surprisingly, a stronger coupling between relationship index and fitness discourage the evolution of cooperation by weakening the direct consequence of a strategy change. To complete our study, we also monitor how the distribution of relationship index vary and detect a strong relation between its polarization and the general cooperation level.

https://n9.cl/3n5vs

Two teosintes made modern maize 

Yang et al., 2023 

Extensive population and quantitative genetic analysis of domesticated maize and its wild relatives uncovered a substantial role for two different wild taxa in making modern maize. It is propose a new model for the origin of maize that can explain both genetic and archaeological data, and it is show how variation in Zea mays ssp. mexicana is a key component of maize diversity, both at individual loci and for genetic variation underlying agronomic traits.

The model raises a number of questions about how and why a secondary spread of maize may have occurred, but it is speculate that the timing of admixture suggests a possible direct role for hybridization between maize and Zea mays ssp. mexicana in improving early domesticated forms of maize, helping to transform it into the staple crop we know today.

Admixture analysis reveals widespread contributions of two teosintes to modern maize. (A) Proportion of highland teosinte admixture for traditional maize varieties across the Americas. (B) Admixture graph representing our model of maize evolution. (C) Cartoon depiction of proposed maize domestication and dispersal. (D) Characterization of admixture tracts along maize genomes. (E) Admixture for cob weight reveals a peak on chromosome 1.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg8940

Assessing critical thresholds in terrestrial microbiomes  

Egidi et al., 2023.

Critical thresholds are abrupt changes in ecosystems triggered by environmental disturbances, which can be used to assess resilience and vulnerability. It is propose how a trait-based approach could be used to harness the predictive power of microbial dynamics to manage ecosystem response to environmental changes.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-023-01536-2

  Active Inference - Karl Friston