What is kin selection?
Q: What is kin selection?
A: Kin selection or kin altruism is a form of natural selection where some animals cooperate with relatives, even if this brings risk to themselves.
Q: Who wrote about the concept first?
A: The concept of kin selection was first written about by R.A. Fisher in 1930, and J.B.S Haldane in 1955, but it was W.D Hamilton who truly formalized the concept.
Q: What is an example of kin selection?
A: An example of kin selection can be seen in the family life of mammals, or in colonial insects such as ants, where they raise alarms to warn others of danger or cooperate in tasks such as helping each other build nests.
Q: How does kin selection work?
A: Kin selection works by individuals displaying behaviour that enhances the fitness of their close relatives which may more than compensate for the fitness loss experienced by themself - this is known as inclusive fitness theory.
Q: What term was probably coined by John Maynard Smith when discussing kin selection?
A: The actual term "kin selection" was probably coined by John Maynard Smith when he wrote about it.
Q: How does natural selection affect genes associated with behaviour that increases relative's fitness?
A: Under natural selection, a gene which improves the fitness of individuals will increase in frequency whereas a gene which lowers the fitness of individuals will become rare - however behaviour which enhances the fitness of relatives but lowers that of the actor may still increase in frequency due to related organisms sharing many similar genes (known as kinship).
