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Yes. I think a definition of "group selection" which includes either multicellular organisms or social insects would be extremely unusual, and basically misses
by iguy 7y ago
Yes.
I think a definition of "group selection" which includes either multicellular organisms or social insects would be extremely unusual, and basically misses the whole debate. Nobody is confused about why oak leaves sacrifice themselves every autumn.
- im3w1l 7y agoThe Pechenga Oak Tree is 2000 years. Imagine a cell line being content playing a support role. For thousands of years. Without trying to spread itself. I find that amazing and mysterious. Unless all long-lived lines in a tree have a shot at spreading? There must be some interesting game theory to keep everyone aligned for that long.
- toasterlovin 7y agoCancer is an instance of the tension you’re describing erupting into open rebellion as a lineage of cells starts over-consuming resources to the detriment of the organism (and all the other cell lineages contained in the organism). I’m not sure what your depth of knowledge is with regard to genetics and evolution, but a fruitful google search might be “germ line vs somatic cells”. This tension also exists at the level of DNA, with some fragments of DNA replicating themselves willy nilly all over the genome, rather than merely being replicated through the normal mechanism. And regarding the game theory: I think the typical thinking is that incentives are dependent on the mode of replication. If something replicates only when the organism creates offspring, then it tends to work harmoniously with the rest of the organism to further this goal. If it replicates via a different mechanism, such as a parasite or disease, then it tends to be uncooperative in collective endeavors.