Cheats as first propagules: A new hypothesis for the evolution of individuality during the transition from single cells to multicellularity.

The authors argue that the critical problem with the emergence of individuality during evolutionary transition from single cells to multicellularity lies on evolution as a means of collective reproduction. They explain the concept underlying the multi-level selection (MLS) theory, along with the evolutionary emergence of group reproduction. The authors also explain how the variation in lower-level individuals create a corporate entity with Darwinian characteristics.