School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, 710069, China.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2020 Sep;35(9):834-847. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.05.003. Epub 2020 May 27.
Multilevel societies (MLSs), stable nuclear social units within a larger collective encompassing multiple nested social levels, occur in several mammalian lineages. Their architectural complexity and size impose specific demands on their members requiring adaptive solutions in multiple domains. The functional significance of MLSs lies in their members being equipped to reap the benefits of multiple group sizes. Here, we propose a unifying terminology and operational definition of MLS. To identify new avenues for integrative research, we synthesise current literature on the selective pressures underlying the evolution of MLSs and their implications for cognition, intersexual conflict, and sexual selection. Mapping the drivers and consequences of MLS provides a reference point for the social evolution of many taxa, including our own species.
多层次社会（MLS）是指在更大的集体中包含多个嵌套社会层次的稳定核社会单位，存在于几个哺乳动物谱系中。它们的建筑复杂性和规模对其成员提出了特定的要求，需要在多个领域中寻求适应性解决方案。MLS 的功能意义在于其成员能够从多个群体规模中获益。在这里，我们提出了一个统一的 MLS 术语和操作定义。为了确定综合研究的新途径，我们综合了当前关于 MLS 进化背后的选择压力及其对认知、雌雄间冲突和性选择的影响的文献。绘制 MLS 的驱动因素和后果为包括我们自己物种在内的许多分类群的社会进化提供了一个参考点。
