The evolution of trans-generational altruism: kin selection meets niche construction.

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Serval ID
serval:BIB_F5C8E7D1A2F3
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
The evolution of trans-generational altruism: kin selection meets niche construction.
Journal
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Author(s)
Lehmann L.
ISSN
1010-061X (Print)
ISSN-L
1010-061X
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2007
Volume
20
Number
1
Pages
181-189
Language
english
Abstract
A cornerstone result of sociobiology states that limited dispersal can induce kin competition to offset the kin selected benefits of altruism. Several mechanisms have been proposed to circumvent this dilemma but all assume that actors and recipients of altruism interact during the same time period. Here, this assumption is relaxed and a model is developed where individuals express an altruistic act, which results in posthumously helping relatives living in the future. The analysis of this model suggests that kin selected benefits can then feedback on the evolution of the trait in a way that promotes altruistic helping at high rates under limited dispersal. The decoupling of kin competition and kin selected benefits results from the fact that by helping relatives living in the future, an actor is helping individuals that are not in direct competition with itself. A direct consequence is that behaviours which actors gain by reducing the common good of present and future generations can be opposed by kin selection. The present model integrates niche-constructing traits with kin selection theory and delineates demographic and ecological conditions under which altruism can be selected for; and conditions where the 'tragedy of the commons' can be reduced.
Keywords
Adaptation, Biological, Altruism, Biological Evolution, Computer Simulation, Models, Theoretical, Selection, Genetic
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
04/05/2011 13:48
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:22
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