Social evolution in viruses

Thesis

Viruses are the most diverse and abundant lifeforms on Earth. In this thesis, I argue that they are also social organisms, and that it can be useful to study viruses within the framework of social evolution theory. Specifically, I: (i) define how cooperating and cheating can occur in viruses, review the diversity of viral cheats, and suggest why studying them can be useful for both virology and evolutionary biology; (ii) model how beneficial interactions between different viral variants can increase the genetic diversity of viral infections; (iii) model how beneficial interactions between viruses can promote the evolution of group dispersal in viruses; (iv) model distinct reasons for why vertically transmitted symbionts, viral or otherwise, are more cooperative than horizontally transmitted ones; (v) investigate the abundance of defective interfering ‘cheat’ genomes in natural infections of Influenza and SARS- CoV-2. Overall, I suggest that the nascent field of sociovirology has much to offer virologists and evolutionary biologists alike.

Authors: Leeks, A

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-9r81rzmzy
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Conflict; Adaptation; Virology; Sociovirology; Altruism; Social evolution; Cooperation; Evolutionary Biology; Viruses
• Subjects: Evolution (Biology); Social evolution; Virology; Microbiology