Competition

Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It can be caused by scarcity and finiteness of resources on the one hand, and overpopulation or overcrowding on the other hand. In the real world, "resources are finite and hence ultimately scarce" (Keller and Lloyd, 1992). This implies competition for the most and best resources among egostic individuals. Competition is the opposite of cooperation, and the natural state among selfish individuals in evolutionary systems, which is responsible for natural selection. During a competition, each party tries to stay ahead of the opponent. See also Arms Race.

Links

• Wikipedia entry for Competition and Survival of the fittest

References

• Evelyn Fox Keller and Elisabeth A. Lloyd, "Keywords in Evolutionary Biology", Harvard University Press, 1992