Hamilton's rule

Kin selection is a process whereby natural selection favours a trait due to its positive effects on the reproductive success of an organism's relatives, even when at a cost to the organism's own survival and reproduction. Kin selection can lead to the evolution of altruistic behaviour. It is related to inclusive fitness, which combines the number of offspring produced with the number an individual can ensure the production of by supporting others.

A broader definition of kin selection includes selection acting on interactions between individuals who share a gene of interest even if the gene is not shared due to common ancestry.

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Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

EUSOCIALITY

The science of social life — ants, bees, termites, mole-rats and the biology of cooperation, kinship, and colony behavior.

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