Is Workplace Kin?

Kin selection is the key to altruism.

Kin selection theory, also known as inclusive fitness theory, has been the subject of much debate and misunderstanding. Nevertheless, the idea that relatedness among individuals can drive the evolution of altruism has emerged as a central paradigm in evolutionary biology. Or has it? In two recent articles, E.O. Wilson argues that kin selection should no longer be considered the main explanation...

2030’s Seniors : Kin and Step-Kin

Demographic computer microsimulation is applied to produce projections of numbers and distributions of close kin for the U.S. elderly of 2030. This paper reports results for the non-black population, with special emphasis on the numbers and possible roles of step-kin. The projections indicate that the elderly of 2030 are likely to be moderately deprived in terms of numbers of close living biolo...

Human kin recognition is self- rather than family-referential.

Inclusive fitness theory predicts that organisms will tend to help close kin more than less related individuals. In a variety of birds and mammals, relatives are recognized by comparing their phenotype to an internal representation or template, which might be learned through either repeated exposure to family members or self-inspection. Mirrors are ubiquitous now, but were absent during our evo...

Allocentric kin recognition is not affected by facial inversion.

Typical judgments involving faces are disrupted by inversion, with the Thatcher illusion serving as a compelling example. In two experiments, we examined how inversion affects allocentric kin recognition-the ability to judge the degree of genetic relatedness of others. In the first experiment, participants judged whether pairs of photographs of children portrayed siblings or unrelated children....

Kin Selection