Kin Selection

The organization and functioning of human and animal societies has long been the subject of intense investigations by natural scientists, sociologists and geneticists. Darwin, who laid the foundation for modern theory of evolution, suggested 'kin selection' as an explanation for the existence of sterile females, the worker caste, in social insects like ants, bees and termites. Later, W.D. Hamilton mathematically established the Theory of Kin Selection as a mechanism for the evolution of such apparently altruistic sterile castes.

Altruism refers to the actions of an individual that aids in increasing the survival and reproduction of another individual while sacrificing its own survival and reproduction. Kin Altruism is the technical term used to define altruistic behaviour that is theoretically explained by kin selection. Though kin altruism would appear to act counter to natural selection, the driving force of the evolution of the species, Hamilton proposed that kin selection is...
[ View Full Essay]