Kin selection

Definition

Kin selection is an evolutionary strategy that favors the reproductive success of an organism's relatives, even at a cost to the organism's own survival and reproduction. It explains altruistic behavior where individuals help their kin to increase shared genetic fitness.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Kin selection is based on the concept of inclusive fitness, which considers both direct and indirect genetic contributions to future generations.
2. Hamilton's Rule (rB > C) quantifies kin selection, where 'r' is the coefficient of relatedness, 'B' is the benefit to the recipient, and 'C' is the cost to the altruist.
3. Kin selection can lead to behaviors like parental care, alarm calling in social animals, and cooperative breeding.
4. Species like bees and ants exhibit extreme forms of kin selection known as eusociality, where sterile workers support reproductive individuals.
5. Kin recognition mechanisms are crucial for kin selection to occur; these mechanisms can be based on scent, visual cues, or learned behaviors.

Review Questions

• What principle explains how organisms increase their own genetic success by helping relatives reproduce?
• How does Hamilton's Rule relate to kin selection?
• Can you provide an example of a species that exhibits eusocial behavior due to kin selection?

Related terms

inclusiveFitness: A measure of an organism's genetic success based on both direct reproduction and support given to relatives' reproduction.

altruism: Behavior by an individual that increases the fitness of another individual while decreasing its own fitness.

eusociality: A complex social structure seen in some species where individuals forego reproduction to assist others in producing offspring.