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Abstract
The theory of multilevel selection (MLS) is beset with conceptual
difficulties. Although it is widely agreed that covariance between group
trait and group fitness may arise in the natural world and drive a
response to ‘group selection’, ambiguity exists over the precise meaning
of group trait and group fitness and as to whether group selection
should be defined according to changes in frequencies of different types
of individual or different types of group. Moreover, the theory of MLS
has failed to properly engage with the problem of class structure, which
greatly limits its empirical application to, for example, social
insects whose colonies are structured into separate age, sex, caste and
ploidy classes. Here, I develop a genetical theory of MLS, to address
these problems. I show that taking a genetical approach facilitates a
decomposition of group‐level traits – including reproductive success –
into the separate contributions made by each constituent individual,
even in the context of so‐called emergence. However, I uncover a novel
problem with the group‐oriented approach: in many scenarios, it may not
be possible to express a meaningful covariance between trait and fitness
at the level of the social group, because the group's constituents
belong to separate, irreconcilable classes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 305-319 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Journal of Evolutionary Biology |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 6 Jan 2015 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 11 Mar 2015 |
Keywords
- Class structure
- Covariance
- Emergence
- Evolutionary genetics
- Group selection
- Natural selection
- Price's theorem
- Social evolution
- Simpson's paradox
- Reproductive value
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Dive into the research topics of 'The genetical theory of multilevel selection'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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NERC Fellowship: Understanding major transitions in individuality
Gardner, A. (PI)
31/03/14 → 30/04/22
Project: Standard