Debottam Bhattacharjee

Abstract Cooperation is the cornerstone of human societies, and its emergence is firmly linked to enhanced tolerance and egalitarianism. However, evidence of profuse cooperation in less tolerant and despotic societies challenges this predominant view. The overarching interdependency hypothesis may resolve the conundrum.

KNR Kamla Nehru Ridge Biodiversity Park MSCA-IF Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship PCA principal component analysis UGC University Grants Commission 1 Introduction Anthropogenic activities (e.g., urbanization, deforestation, land encroachment, industrial activities, and agricultural expansion) have intensified in recent years, breaking down the barriers that separate humans and wildlife (Dirzo et al. 2014).

Abstract The evolutionary mechanisms of cooperation are well-studied, yet what motivates individuals to cooperate remains unclear. Although conventionally associated with enhanced social tolerance (self-domestication hypothesis) and prosociality (cooperative-breeding hypothesis), individuals belonging to species that are neither self-domesticated nor cooperatively-breeding also cooperate.