It is a common perception that bigger, stronger, faster organisms have a distinct advantage for long-term survival when competing with other organisms in a given community.
But new research shows that in some structured communities, organisms increase their chances of survival if they evolve some level of restraint that allows competitors to survive as well, a sort of “survival of the weakest”.
The findings have potential implications for other ecological systems, including mating systems of certain lizards that could have analogs among some reptiles, fish, birds and insects.
Read more at University of Washington