Evolutionarily Stable Strategy

An Evolutionarily Stable Strategy (ESS) is a behavioral pattern that, once common in a population, cannot be easily replaced by alternative strategies because it provides a consistent advantage. If most individuals follow this strategy, any new or mutant strategy won't outperform it enough to spread widely. Think of it like a successful way of behaving that maintains its dominance over time—because deviations don't offer enough benefit to challenge it. ESS helps explain how certain behaviors persist in nature, shaping the evolutionary dynamics of species.