Cheating is a term used in behavioral ecology and ethology to describe behavior whereby organisms receive a benefit at the cost of other organisms. Cheating is common in many mutualistic and altruistic relationships.[1] A cheater is an individual who does not cooperate (or cooperates less than their fair share) but can potentially gain the benefit from others cooperating.[2] Cheaters are also those who selfishly use common resources to maximize their individual fitness at the expense of a group.[3] Natural selection favors cheating, but there are mechanisms to regulate it.[4]