Ratcheting based on neighboring niches determines lifestyle

In this paper, a co-evolution method of game dynamics and network structure is adopted to demonstrate that neighboring niches of an individual or population may have great influence in determining lifestyle adoption. The model encompasses network structure evolution, denoted Case A , and pure games participated in by individuals in the network with two asymmetric branches determining winning and losing states, denoted Case B . The selection between game branches is dependent on the demographic of neighboring niches, and favorable or unfavorable effects from the neighborhood can be made to manifest by setting probabilistic game parameters. Theoretical analysis reveals that losing configurations of Case B , when stochastically mixed with neutral Case A , can result in paradoxical winning scenarios where the network experiences positive gain—a Parrondo’s paradox-like phenomenon has therefore emerged. It is elucidated that agitation from Case A increases the probability of individuals to play the favorable branch of Case B , leading to unexpected gains in two distinct parameter regimes. In the paradoxical regions, our analysis suggests strongly that neighboring niches are the cause for evolution toward social or solitary lifestyle behaviors, and we present important connections to real-world biological life.