Mathematical Biology Seminar: Daniel Krupp

The concept of genetic relatedness, the probability that social partners share a focal genotype above and beyond chance, is fundamental to the evolution of behaviour. As a consequence, numerous species - humans included - have evolved kin recognition systems, designed to condition behaviour upon relatedness. Here, we formalize a traditional, but troubled, mechanism of kin recognition known as "phenotype matching." By linking quantitative genetics to Bayes' formula, we provide a sound theoretical foundation for phenotype matching. Following this, we show how partner information (e.g. via phenotype matching) can lead to peculiar asymmetries in the perception of relatedness that, in conjunction with concepts pertaining to the distribution of competition, can help us to understand phenomena as diverse as familial love and ethnocentrism.