The evolutionary roots of sociality

Evolution has led to the emersion of various forms of life through a Darwinian mechanism, which implies a "competition" for natural resources and, hence, selection. However, it was clear that "cooperation" has also played a crucial role, because it has operated since the beginning of life on our planet. In particular, cooperation has been crucial for the emerging of sociality in a little group of species, among pluricellular organisms. Albeit this occurred in different modalities, the population involved acts as a "superorganism". Sociality is also widespread in several mammals (apes, elephants and dolphins) and these societies can survive only if conflicts among individuals are settled through behaviours that allow the reconciliation between members of the community. Human beings have been the subject of similar mechanisms, but in a specific moment, culture overlapped those biological processes, thanks to the development of our intellectual faculties.