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Genes, individuals, and kin selection.

P J Darlington1

  • 1Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 1, 1981
PubMed
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This summary is machine-generated.

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Kin selection theories are unlikely to be real, as they require improbable conditions and lack clear mechanisms. Alternative theories suggest individual selection better explains the evolution of social behaviors in insects and humans.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Sociobiology
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • The altruistic-gene theory and inclusive fitness theory propose kin selection as a primary driver of altruistic behaviors.
  • These theories often assume selection acts on aggregated gene quantities within kin groups.
  • However, the empirical and mechanistic support for these kin-centric models remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically reexamine the validity and necessity of kin selection theories.
  • To explore alternative evolutionary mechanisms, such as individual selection, for the development of social behaviors.
  • To highlight the limitations of current evolutionary mathematics and sociobiology in accounting for the costs of selection.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis of kin selection and inclusive fitness models.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of conditions required for kin selection to operate.
  • Evaluation of alternative two-step individual selection models for social evolution.

    • Main Results:

    • Kin selection theories are predicated on highly improbable conditions and lack demonstrable mechanisms.
    • Inclusive fitness models, while mathematically tractable, do not reflect a clear biological process.
    • Individual selection offers a parsimonious explanation for the evolution of sociality and altruism in species like insects and humans.
    • The cost of selection, often ignored, limits the precision of adaptations and may render some evolutionary models unrealistic.

    Conclusions:

    • Kin selection theory is likely unnecessary and should be reconsidered or abandoned.
    • Individual selection provides a more robust framework for understanding the evolution of social behaviors.
    • Current evolutionary models must incorporate the costs of selection to avoid unrealistic predictions.