In evolutionary biology, it has been suggested that genes are the ultimate controllers of our bodies, our instincts, and even our actions. This concept can get pretty philosophical, even to the extent of viewing ourselves as merely vessels for our genes, executing actions that are only driven toward the passing on of those genes to future generations. Whether or not this is how we might want to view ourselves, it is a useful way of understanding the concept of inclusive fitness.
From a gene's 'point of view,' the survival and reproductive success of the individual organism it inhabits is of foremost importance. But say a gene is found in more than one organism in the population - which it usually is - such as the gene for brown eyes or green eyes? The gene seeks only to be passed along, and if there are other copies of the gene in other individuals, it is beneficial to ensure the success of those other individuals too. This illustrates the concept of inclusive fitness: a theory suggesting that the genetic success of an organism is dependent upon cooperation with other individuals in a population. A gene will be more prevalent in future generations if all individuals who carry that gene are successful at reproducing, rather than just one individual with that gene.
Since related individuals are those most likely to be carrying common genes, this cooperation is foremost associated with the concept of kin selection, in which related individuals tend to take care of each other, often altruistically, and generally work to ensure each others' successes. Our innate desires to protect those in our families, especially our offspring, can ultimately be attributed to our genes, 'motivating' us to protect those same genes in others!
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In many cases, members of a population do care for non-relatives in the same way as they take care of their kin. Naturally, we can see how it is beneficial for a tribe or group to look after each other, in a way, 'you scratch my back, and I'll scratch your back.' Team work does pay off for individuals in the group. But looking at this from a gene's point of view, it makes sense for a different reason. If we apply the theory of inclusive fitness, a gene is most successful if ALL individuals carrying that gene survive to reproduce. The catch is that it is not easy for an organism to tell (instinctively, not consciously) who in their population also carries a given gene and who does not. Thus, in many species, individuals show care for non-related members of the population, striving to ensure their survival.
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There is also a flip side to this concept in many mammal populations, in which we see the opposite: males committing infanticide against offspring that are not their own. This serves one purpose from the gene's point of view: a male ensures that there are more of his genes and less competitor genes in the population. It also serves a more direct purpose of freeing up females to mate with him. Oddly enough, both the care of non-relatives and the killing off of non-relatives can contribute to inclusive fitness, as different species may benefit from these evolutionary tricks differently.
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Inclusive fitness is the theory that the genetic success of individual organisms is often dependent upon the cooperative success of the group. Because multiple organisms in a population can have the same gene, the future prevalence of that gene benefits from members of a population caring for each other, be it relatives by way of kin selection or non-relatives. Contrarily, in some mammal species, males may commit infanticide against non-related offspring to ensure that their specific genes are more prevalent. In all cases, the ultimate 'goal' is the advancement of genes in future generations.
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High School Biology: Homework Help Resource36 chapters | 435 lessons
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