Lecture 19: Units & Kin Selection

Question 1

Understand the difference between group selection and individual selection.

Answer 1

Group selection: populations comprised of individuals who forgo personal fitness for stability of the group so that the group will out compete other populations.

Individual selection: cheaters will win in an altruistic society

Question 2

Define alturism

Answer 2

behavior of an animal that benefits another at its own expense.

Question 3

What is individual fitness?

Answer 3

Genetic contribution to future generation, direct descendants

Question 4

What is inclusive fitness

Answer 4

Genetic contribution to future generation, individual fitness + fitness of your relatives (kin), kin fitness scaled by degree of relatedness

Question 5

Understand siblicide and when it is beneficial.

Answer 5

if the benefit (of sharing) x r > cost (kill-share), don’t kill

if Br<C, kill

Question 6

Define eusociality

Answer 6

the highest level of organization of animal sociality, is defined by the following characteristics: cooperative brood care, overlapping generations within a colony of adults, and a division of labour into reproductive and non-reproductive groups.