Theory 45/Cooperation vs Competition/Symbiosis
Mutualists Can Turn
The claim
Mutualism trades against parasitism, because the traits that make a partner useful also make it exploitable, and the transition occurs when the host cannot sanction.
01Mechanism
A symbiont that receives resources can redirect them to its own reproduction; sanctions are the mechanism that keeps the exchange fair.
02Prediction
The transition should occur where sanctions are weak.
03Refutation
The transition independent of sanction capacity would remove the trade-off.