Natural selection. VII. History and interpretation of kin selection theory

Natural selection. VII. History and interpretation of kin selection theory.

Kin selection theory is a kind of causal analysis. The initial form of kin selection ascribed cause to costs, benefits and genetic relatedness. The theory then slowly developed a deeper and more sophisticated approach to partitioning the causes of social evolution. Controversy followed because causal analysis inevitably attracts opposing views. It is always possible to separate total effects in...

The genetical theory of kin selection.

Natural selection operates both directly, via the impact of a trait upon the individual's own fitness, and indirectly, via the impact of the trait upon the fitness of the individual's genetically related social partners. These effects are often framed in terms of Hamilton's rule, rb - c > 0, which provides the central result of social-evolution theory. However, a number of studies have question...

Genetic similarity theory: beyond kin selection.

We present genetic similarity theory (GST), which incorporates the kinselection theory of altruism under a more general principle. GST states that a gene ensures its own survival by acting so as to bring about the reproduction o f any organism in which copies of itself are to be found. Rather than behaving altruistically only toward kin, organisms are able to detect other genetically similar or...

Kin Selection

Kin selection

How can individuals calculate relatedness? They generally don’t need to, any more than a bird needs to calculate aerodynamic forces to fly. If, under certain conditions, performing a behavior satisfies Hamilton’s rule, then the action is favored. The triggering conditions may include cues to relatedness, which are usually based on social experience. A bee, for example, learns the smell of her b...