Cooperation vs. Competition

Is it conceivable that a planet could develop life based on cooperation, symbiosis, etc. rather than competition?

What would such an ecosystem look like?

Well, there are elements of cooperation in current lifeforms, as well. But for "pure" cooperation, you would need a different way of reproduction, in which any lifeform (or the genes thereof) cannot possibly benefit from the death (or less successful reproduction, etc.) of other lifeforms.

Originally posted by Scriabin
Is it conceivable that a planet could develop life based on cooperation, symbiosis, etc. rather than competition?

What would such an ecosystem look like?

We have symbiosis in our biosphere. This I call a form of cooperation.
Even in our bodies bacteria thrives and help us digest our food. If we kill them off we are in problems. We live in 'perfect' cooperation with them.

Pigs need us for a 'good and lazy' lives. We need them to ensure our need for meat. Is this a symbiosis? Without us, there would be far less pigs on our world, so they surely benefit from us. And we benefit from them in order to give us nutricients.

What about larger sructures?
Plants produce oxygen that animals need for their survival. Animals produce CO2 that plants need for their survival. Ar plants and animals in symbiosis, and thus in cooperation? Yes, in a broader perspective.

Individual cooperate. Some species cooperate. The whole biology are dependant of eachother.

This posting is only food for thoughts...

Originally posted by Scriabin
Is it conceivable that a planet could develop life based on cooperation, symbiosis, etc. rather than competition?

What would such an ecosystem look like?

Just ask mr. Nash