Biologist Rowan Hooper's new book, "Togetherness," presents a case for symbiosis—cooperation between different species—as the fundamental driver of evolution, rather than competition. Hooper argues that life has proliferated over billions of years not through conflict, but through mutualistic relationships.
While Charles Darwin emphasized competition, he also acknowledged that "Life... depends on other life," observing that plants and animals "are bound together by a web of complex relations." Hooper builds on this, illustrating symbiosis with various examples. He points to legumes, which rely on rhizobia bacteria on their roots to extract nitrogen from the air and convert it into fertilizer, enabling plant growth.
In Tanzania, Hooper observed a symbiotic relationship between the whistling-thorn tree and a species of ant. The ants protect the tree from herbivores, including elephants, in exchange for nectar and shelter. When the tree is disturbed, the ants swarm to defend it.
Humans, Hooper suggests, are also prime examples of symbiosis, acting as "mobile ecosystems." Trillions of organisms live on and within the human body, influencing physical and mental states. For instance, up to 95 percent of serotonin, a mood-influencing compound, is produced by symbiotic microbes in the gut. As noted in the 2017 book "The Psychobiotic Revolution," gut bacteria are linked to a wide range of human emotions.
Hooper contends that symbiosis is integral to life's origins, evolution, and ongoing operation. He asserts that the prevailing assumption that competition alone powers the world has contributed to ecological collapse, underscoring the need to recognize the interconnectedness of life.