Reference no: EM132412793

As you continue to observe the two groups of ground squirrels, you notice that a third group of squirrels is encroaching on their territory. This group of squirrels will engage in outright competition with the other squirrels, going so far as to kill or injure members of other groups found near or along the borders of their territory. In addition, they seem to be able to successfully hunt predators- like coyotes and bobcats- using what appear to be small group tactics. When they successfully bring down a predator, they eat the predator and leave its denuded skull at the edge of their territory. You strongly suspect this is a new species of squirrel, and their behavior seems quite strange. You're performing some tentative genetic analyses on this new group as you await funding of your grant. You notice that as the region you study gets drier due to a multi-year drought, the aggressive squirrel group seems to spread at the expense of the less aggressive groups.

Given what you know about game theory, describe what you think the cost/benefit matrix may look like for this group. Explain the conditions that might cause this observed behavior. Also, tell me what you expect to see when your genetic analysis of the population kinship is finished, and why.?