Adoption, evolution, and kin selection you dont know how. Scripts were provided for careful interpretation by our art director as well as some basic art and photography. Jan 18, 2011 contribution of kin selection theory kin selection puts a new spin on the classic ideas of natural selection darwin imposed it differs from the view that evolution and life is on a strict individual basis relationships in animals plays a major role in evolution there could be an altruistic gene that is passed on or not. A type of behavior is defined as a given costbenefit ratio, cb, in terms of darwinian. If natural selection is designed to weed out traits that lower reproductive success, then how do we explain the existence of altruistic traits that reduce reproductive fitness to zero. Cases of animals helping individuals to whom they are closely related can be explained by kin selection, and are not considered true altruism. Kin selection theory has its origins in attempt to unlock the puzzle of why some organisms have evolved to help other organisms of the same species.
Kin selection theory ks is widely invoked to account for the preferential treatment of kinnepotismin primate societies. Both mechanisms operating together should influence the evolution of cooperation. Evolutionary biologist david sloan wilson argues in his book darwins cathedral that religion served as a social tool to unite groups into cohesive wholes by which they could out compete groups without religion, and thus the religious impulse was born. In contrast, researchers have studied the relationship between reproductive valuethe extent to which an individual of a given state contributes to future generationsand the degree of altruistic behavior far less. First, what evidence do social insects provide for kin selection theory. Detecting kin selection at work using inclusive fitness ncbi. The evolution of social behavior by kin selection the. Kin selection altruism is a type of natural selection process when individuals will sacrifice their lives in a an effort to save closely. The result is a theory which integrates kin selection and socialization as foundations of human altruism.
Kin selection in primate groups social sciences ucla. Kin selection in the discussion of natural selection, the emphasis was on how natural selection works on individuals to favor the more fit and disfavor the less fit in a population. More generally, we emphasize the need to distinguish between general kin. This paper describes the kin selection or inclusive fitness hypothesis, and then presents data relevant to testing the hypothesis. The interplay between kin selec tion theory and social insects has been complex. It is based on the concept of inclusive fitness, which is made up of individual survival and reproduction direct fitness and any impact that an individual. Supported by empirical studies which generally shows preference for helping close blood relativesmathmatical computer simulations demonstrate that kin selection is one of the possible selection processes in evolution together with reciprocity. Kin selection promotes female productivity and cooperation. Kin selection and its critics oxford academic journals. Kin selection promotes female productivity and cooperation between. Beyond the physical exertions that in some species mothers and in some species fathers undertake to protect their. Sterile workers can accrue reproductive benefits by helping their relatives. Altruism can be explained by natural selection nature. Hamiltons theory of kin selection is much misunderstood.
Kin selection is an optimality approach, and tells you what the best solution is. Kin selection theory hamiltons genetical theory explains how aid that is selfsacrificing in terms of classical individual fitness, or altruism, can evolve if sufficiently beneficial to relatives. Because this idea is so pervasive the role of ks is often unquestioned and optional mechanisms are often ignored. Grandparental transfers and kin selection behavioral and. Kin selection is the key to altruism the foster lab. A kinselection interpretation of insect sociality is given which differs from that of hamilton in not relying on extraordinarily high relatedness among the members of a colony. Kin selection definition of kin selection by the free. However, the best solution doesnt mean much if it is unattainable. Pdf constructs a theoretical framework within which various models relating to kin selection can be placed in perspective.
Kin selection theory therefore provides a neat explanation of how sterility in the social insects may have evolved by darwinian means. Kin selection is the key to altruism welcome to the. Hamiltons theory of kin selection explains the evolution of costly traits. The theory of kin selection, first articulated by hamilton 1964, pro vides a solution to. Kin selection definition of kin selection by merriamwebster. In this article, we ex amine this interplay by focusing on three main questions. Jul 25, 2019 kin selection definition is a theory of natural selection which states that a usually altruistic behavior or attribute that lowers the fitness of a particular individual is selected for if it increases the probability of survival and reproduction of related kin who possess some or all of the same genes as the altruistic individual. May 30, 2008 the established paradigm, based on inclusive fitness kin selection theory, is that eusociality evolves because of a combination of the direct benefits of altruism i. Keep reading to explore the fascinating and somewhat controversial theory of kin selection. Hamilton, or by the competing theory of multilevel selection as. Kin selection is the evolutionary strategy that favours the reproductive success of an organisms relatives, even at a cost to the organisms own survival and reproduction. As mentioned, altruistic genes should make their bearers benefit preferentially the class of individuals who most likely share the same genes to promote their spread. In the kin selection world r goes from zero to one, in my world it goes from zero to infinity.
The genetical theory of kin selection gardner 2011. Sep 25, 2016 charles darwin discussed the concept of kin selection in his 1859 book, the origin of species, where he reflected on the puzzle of sterile social insects, such as honey bees, which leave. A well known example of kin selection in operation is the study of alarm calls in squirrels by paul sherman 1977. Ww norton needed a sizable batch of animations for their anthropology discipline.
Kin selection is a type of natural selection in which an individual attempts to ensure the survival of its own genes by protecting closely related individuals first. Kin selection is an important concept within the subjects of genetics and natural selection, and this quizworksheet will help you test your understanding of it as. Hamiltons rule is the mathematical formulation of a key concept underlying kin selection. This perspective allows us to combine kin selection and reciprocal altruism into a general matrix game model. Aug 25, 2010 evolutionary biologists overturn longheld kinselection theory. Pdf altruistic cooperation among individuals is a key problem in evolutionary. This article attempts to resolve the problem by linking kin recognition cues to the socialization process. What if theres a mechanism within natural selection that not only rewards the strongest, smartest and fastest, but also the most helpful and selfless.
Is it purely a cultural product or does it have deeper roots in our evolutionary past. Kin selection theory has been widely accepted as an explanation for the evolution of altruistic traits. The central explanatory principle of kin selection theory is hamiltons rule, which says that a gene coding for a social behavior will be favored by natural selection if and only if rb c, where b represents the benefit that the behavior confers on the recipient, c represents the cost that it imposes on the actor, and r is the coefficient of. Kin selection is an instance of inclusive fitness, which combines the number of.
The once freeliving cells in the stem sacrifice their. First, following kin selection theory, grandparents have kin other than grandchildren in which to invest and therefore any investigation into grandparents should take this perspective. Sep 17, 2014 alturism inclusive fitness hamiltons rule kin selection. Kin selection and its critics bioscience oxford academic. Is male homosexuality maintained via kin selection. I first examine the potential role of some other nepotismgenerating mechanisms by concentrating on the effect of the proximity correlate of matrilineal.
Hl psychology human relationships flashcards quizlet. The evolutionary biology of altruism psychology today. A biological theory stating that a gene that causes an organism to exhibit behavior detrimental to its survival will increase in frequency in a. The genetical theory of kin selection gardner 2011 journal of. How psychologists explain altruistic helpful behaviors. In the absence of kin selection, reciprocal altruism may be an evolutionarily stable strategy but is unable to invade a population of noncooperators. This fact appears to call into question the view that human altruism is founded on kin selection.
The evolution of altruistic and selfish behavior by kin selection has been analyzed previously by asking which types of behavior are favored by natural selection. Evolutionary biologists overturn longheld kin selection theory. For example, kin selection predicts that in social insect colonies relatedness determines the value of new queens and males to other colony members. This dynamic forms the conceptual basis of the theory of social evolution.
Kin selection, a type of natural selection that considers the role relatives play when evaluating the genetic fitness of a given individual. Ancestral monogamy shows kin selection is key to the. Current theories propose that the evolution of eusociality occurred either due to kin selection, proposed by w. The evolution of altruism remains an active topic in biological research, but the power and the scope of inclusive fitness theory hamilton 1964. This evolutionary puzzle is usually explained by kin selection where close relatives perform altruistic and cooperative acts to help each other and by reciprocity theory i. Kin selection is an evolutionary theory that proposes that people are more likely to help those who are blood relatives because it will increase the odds of gene transmission to future generations. Kin selection and social insects university of washington. Kin selection is the evolutionary strategy that favours the reproductive success of an organisms. Kin selection solved this problem, explaining that genes encoding altruistic traits can be selected if they increase the average fitness of relatives.
The emphasis was on the survival mortality selection, mating success sexual selection, or family size fecundity selection of individuals. Three main mechanisms underlying the evolution of altruistic cooperation have been developed. In the analysis of intergenerational transfer, several improvements can be made. However, kin selection and group selection are not distinct processes, and the effects of multilevel selection are already accounted for in hamiltons rule, rbc, provided that an expanded definition of r, not requiring hamiltons original assumption of direct genealogical relatedness, is used, as proposed by e. On the surface, the theory of kin selection makes a heck of a lot of sense. The basics of kin selection theory kin selection theory has. However, the role of relatedness in the evolution of altruistic traits has recently been questioned, with ecological factors that favor group living highlighted as an alternative hypothesis 3, 4. Paradoxically, while kin selection was proposed to explain the evolution of altruism, the outcomes of withingroup conflict provide some of the theorys most compelling evidence. All books are in clear copy here, and all files are secure so dont worry about it. Sexratio conflicts, kin selection, and the evolution of. Nobody has ever or will ever measure the strength of kin selection. It is discussed here in order to clarify the meaning of kin selection and inclusive fitness the total reproductive valve of an individual, both its production of offspring and effects on. Empirical studies have tested and confirmed a positive relationship between relatedness and the degree of altruistic behavior, as predicted by kin selection theory. Key research on evolutionary psychology and inclusive fitness theory hamiltons rule in kin selection, as they relate to adoption.
This lecture explains about the kin selection theory. Hamiltons theory of kin selection is the bestknown framework for understanding. May 14, 2002 kin selection predictions on sexratio conflicts were developed from the application of the sexratio theory of fisher to kin selection by trivers and hare. The theory suggests that altruism towards close relatives occurs in order to ensure the continuation of shared genes. The genetical theory of kin selection natural selection is the part of evolutionary change that results from the differential reproductive success of. The second case study is drawn from studies of freeranging red howlers. Kin selection and reproductive value in social mammals. Arguments against kin selection how kin selection works. Wilson 1975, attributing the theory to trivers and spieth, first hypothesized that homosexual men reproduce not directly, but indirectly, through aid given to relatives. Wilsons ideas of kin selection and altruism based on. However, to fully assess the role of kin selection in primate groups, we need more information about the effects of kinship on the patterning of behavior across the primates and accurate information about paternal kin relationships. Second, how does kin selection theory account for the evolution of sociality in insects. The theory of kin selection describes how natural selection may be.
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