Yellowfin marmots live in colonies with a single dominant male
Maria Janicki/Alamy
Friendly groups of marmots could help settle an enduring debate in evolutionary theory about whether group characteristics are more important than individual characteristics for an individual’s chances of survival . Analysis of animal behavior provides first evidence of this evolutionary idea, known as multilevel selection, in wild animals
“What we found is that group traits are subject to selection as strong, if not slightly stronger, than individual traits,” said Connor Filson of the University of California, Los Angeles. ” he says.
