Aggregation-based colonization is capable and sufficient to maintain the cooperative behavior of aggregative unicells (IMAGE)
Caption
In a nonchanging environment, predation, or any size-dependent selection, is enough to give a chance for cooperators to survive (top right). Without predation, however, cheaters will always win (top left). In a changing environment, when there is need to colonize new habitats, random dispersion decreases the chance of cooperators due to disrupting aggregations (middle). However, aggregation and aggregation-based colonization can effectively maintain cooperators against cheaters with or without predation (bottom left).
Credit
Figure: István Zachar and István Oszoli
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