Is it possible for a species to survive unassisted if each individual is so specialized to the point that they cannot survive without the colony

EDIT: Since many people think this question is unclear, let me rephrase it: Can a species with only specialists survive unassisted for a long period of time?

Specific applications:

• A Robot group where every bot can only optimize itself to do one job and one job only (miner drones cannot fix itself, builder drones cannot find material...)
• A RPG-inspired universe where everyone is optimized to the max (the world is populated by barbarians who can kill gods but have no vocational training for anything not combat-related or take care of himself in a normal setting; or diplomats whose voice is better than mind control, but die to a stray sneeze)
• A RTS-inspired universe (where your "society" is made of individuals whose purpose in life is to shoot things, drive machinery, operate buildings, etc., and no more)

posted almost 6 years ago

Nam Nguyen Hoang‭

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