The Silent Cooperator: An Epigenetic Model for Emergence of Altruistic Traits in Biological Systems

<div>Payoffs for agent <svg height="6.1673pt" id="M6" style="vertical-align:-0.2063904pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -5.96091 6.7023 6.1673" width="6.7023pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M483 97L471 123C436 91 401 65 392 65C388 65 384 74 390 106C414 239 444 378 457 429L455 433C444 433 429 436 416 439C392 444 368 448 344 448C281 448 204 415 152 376C71 315 23 205 23 103C23 21 57 -12 85 -12C114 -12 149 6 185 34C231 70 285 119 329 183H331L309 81C292 0 308 -12 326 -12C350 -12 421 24 483 97ZM374 387C370 363 356 291 345 261C315 193 181 50 139 50C124 50 110 71 110 118C110 224 153 331 218 379C238 394 271 402 301 402C329 402 359 394 374 387Z" id="g113-98"></path></g></svg> against agent <svg height="9.49473pt" id="M7" style="vertical-align:-0.2063999pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 6.21949 9.49473" width="6.21949pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M452 333C452 398 425 448 375 448C329 448 235 404 140 292H138L229 683C233 701 234 712 225 712C208 712 149 686 66 677L64 652H97C135 652 140 651 129 598L38 167C23 96 29 57 44 33C60 7 98 -12 132 -12C169 -12 232 3 290 41C383 102 452 223 452 333ZM365 316C365 199 308 87 239 49C221 39 200 35 183 35C137 35 99 70 112 163C116 191 123 215 129 233C190 316 290 392 330 392C348 392 365 372 365 316Z" id="g113-99"></path></g></svg> in a prisoner’s dilemma game; <svg height="11.7782pt" id="M8" style="vertical-align:-3.42938pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 28.7111 11.7782" width="28.7111pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M546 430L539 434C529 434 505 438 495 440C473 444 450 448 430 448C352 448 265 412 213 366C145 306 96 203 96 103C96 22 135 -12 160 -12C190 -12 238 14 262 32C310 68 368 120 411 184H413C403 117 396 75 384 21C353 -118 325 -158 291 -184C270 -200 241 -205 208 -205C133 -205 90 -164 74 -110C70 -98 58 -100 49 -107C34 -119 23 -140 23 -155C23 -190 74 -261 166 -261C219 -261 280 -233 314 -208C383 -157 446 -79 470 81C491 223 529 388 546 430ZM456 386C452 357 433 283 420 252C402 216 366 174 325 129C288 88 239 56 212 56C192 56 182 77 182 120C182 165 199 242 226 292C256 348 281 377 311 389C327 395 353 402 375 402C408 402 436 394 456 386Z" id="g113-104"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.03,0)"><path d="M512 230V281L75 514V456L453 256V254L75 55V-3L512 230Z" id="g117-92"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,22.293,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g></svg> and <span class="nowrap"><svg height="8.98582pt" id="M9" style="vertical-align:-0.6370001pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 26.5841 8.98582" width="26.5841pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M383 397C383 424 344 448 299 448C244 448 172 409 132 375C66 319 23 227 23 146C23 42 74 -12 146 -12C208 -12 298 30 359 103L343 124C315 95 248 48 192 48C145 48 111 85 111 163C111 228 129 294 151 330C171 363 201 401 241 401C275 401 302 384 325 356C332 347 339 344 348 348C373 360 383 381 383 397Z" id="g113-100"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,8.914,0)"><path d="M512 230V281L75 514V456L453 256V254L75 55V-3L512 230Z" id="g117-92"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,20.177,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g></svg>.</span></div>

Complexity

tab1

Table 1

Table 1: The Silent Cooperator: An Epigenetic Model for Emergence of Altruistic Traits in Biological Systems 