Bacterial spite: When killing yourself is a good strategy
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - 16:30
in Biology & Nature
Spite evolves in close quarters, according to new research. Scientists studied a bacterial species in which individuals sometimes explode, releasing a toxin into the environment that is deadly to competing bacteria. This kamikaze-like behavior is a bit of an evolutionary mystery. How could a behavior in which an individual gives up its chance to reproduce evolve?
