Kin selection facts for kids

The co-operative behaviour of social insects like the honey bee can be explained by kin selection

Kin selection is the evolutionary strategy that favours the reproductive success of an organism's relatives, even at a cost to the organism's own survival and reproduction. Charles Darwin discussed the concept of kin selection in his 1859 book, On the Origin of Species.

Kin recognition allows individuals to be able to identify their relatives. In humans, self-sacrifice is both more likely and on a larger scale with kin than with unrelated individuals; for example, humans give presents according to how closely related they are to the recipient.

In other species, vervet monkeys use allomothering, where related females such as older sisters or grandmothers often care for young, according to their relatedness. Kin selection causes changes in gene frequency across generations, driven by interactions between related individuals.

Images for kids

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  Charles Darwin wrote that selection could be applied to the family as well as to the individual.

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  The evolutionary biologist John Maynard Smith used the term "kin selection" in 1964.

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  Kin recognition: theory predicts that bearers of a trait (like the fictitious 'green beard') will behave altruistically towards others with the same trait.

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  Ants are eusocial insects; the queen (large, centre) is reproductive, while the workers (small) and soldiers (medium size, with large jaws) are generally not.

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  Vervet monkeys behave in ways that imply kin selection.

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  Families are important in human behaviour, but kin selection may be based on closeness and other cues.

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  Morning glory plants grow smaller roots when next to kin than to non-kin plants.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de parentesco para niños