ENGL121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Kin Selection, Inclusive Fitness, Eusociality

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: English
• Course: ENGL121
• Professor: Rob Appleford

Document Summary

Many offspring are produced, not all survive (not enough resources) Within a population where traits vary, some will be heritable and will give individuals an advantage, these become more common over time. Selection acts on the individual* evolution is at the population level** an individual doesn"t evolve* a population evolves* Behavior are only adaptive if the right conditions are met. If conditions are right where the behavior is adaptive then this behavior will be an asset, however if the conditions are not right for the behavior it will be mal-adaptive. Behaviors: social bees vs solitary bees (being solitary is a derived trait)-interspecific behavior. Behavior can be adaptive and selection can act on behavior. Inclusive fitness: individuals survival & reproduction (includes offspring) + survival & reproduction of relatives (who share your genes), not your offspring, but sisters, parents. (fig 8. 3) The evolutionary process behind inclusive fitness: kin selection. The donor: individual performing the action, protecting the nest .