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"It turns out that there’s only one condition that has to be reached in the course of evolution for eusociality to emerge: A mother or father must raise their young within reach of adequate resources at a defensible nest. Getting from the solitary lifestyle to one that includes a defensible nest can be done in one evolutionary step—one gene change. This turns the concept of inclusive fitness on its head, because the gene change and the social behavior came first. Kinship is a consequence of that, not a cause."

evolution wilson altruism

ONE OF THE ENDtJRING UNSETTLED ISSUES OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
is the paradox of collateral altruistic behavior—that is, when some individuals subordinate their own interests and those of their immedi- ate offspring in order to serve the interests of a larger group beyond offspring (Wilson, 1975). How might such behavior evolve if the genes promoting it are at such a disadvantage in competition with genes that oppose it?

kin-selection 110 biology genetics altruism

"An altruistic behavior is one in which an individual (the donor) performs an action that helps another animal (the recipient) with no apparent advantage to itself. Natural selection should eliminate such behaviors, yet there are many examples (alarm calling in squirrels, helpers at the nest in scrub jays, sterile worker castes in honey bees etc.) in which animals appear to cooperate despite an apparent disadvantage to the donor. In the example at hand, a good strategy might be for the donor to take information from the other bee without providing any itself. Some of these behaviors can be explained by the fact that the recipient of the "altruistic" behavior is a relative of the donor. In order to understand why this should be the case, it is first important to define the coefficient of relatedness."

kin-selection 110 biology genetics altruism

"Altruistic behaviour, such as sterile worker ants caring for the offspring of their queen, evolves only between related individuals through what is known as kin selection — or so many evolutionary biologists have thought since the 1960s. "

kin-selection 110 biology genetics altruism

Kin selection is a part of natural selection. Selection normally favors a gene if it increases reproduction, because the offspring share copies of that gene, but a gene can also be favored if it aids other relatives, who also share copies. It is this selection via relatives that is referred to as kin selection.

kin-selection 110 biology genetics altruism

The roots of human morality are to be found in a Darwinian understanding of helping behaviours: 'reciprocal altruism'

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child & chimp cooperation

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A new theory for why we put up with adulterers, steroid-using athletes and the mafia (Scientific American)

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In his new book "The Superorganism," out today, Wilson and his co-author, Bert Holldobler, argue that natural selection operates on the group, not just the gene. - The Boston Globe

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in list: Evolution

"In relation to our previous and well-visited post about oxytocin, we should mention a new study that uses this very substance in a neuroeconomic set-up. In the study, recently published by Neuron, and headed by Baumgartner et al., it was found that the administration of oxytocin affected subjects’ in a trust game. In particular, it was found that subjects that received oxytocin were not affected by information about co-players that cheated." (BRAINETHICS)

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"Despite the overwhelming success Darwin’s theory has had in explaining a wide variety of natural phenomena, great debate continues over the theory’s application in explaining the evolution of an aspect of animal behavior known as altruism." (Eric Strong)

altruism morality evolution grue

in list: Evolution