Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1. All altruism is genetically selfish. Discuss.
2. Does it matter how precisely we use terms such as altruism?
3. Are humans especially altruistic (Fehr & Gachter, 2002)?
4. Discuss whether alarm calls in meerkats are mutually beneficial or altruistic (Clutton-
Brock et al ., 1999b).
5. Are greenbeards in conflict with the rest of the genome?
6. Discuss how cross-fostering experiments can be used to study the ways in which
animals discriminate kin (Mateo & Holmes, 2004; Holmes & Mateo, 2006; Todrank &
Heth, 2006).
7. Does kin discrimination occur in ant colonies with multiple queens (Hannonen &
Sundstrom, 2003; Holzer et al ., 2006; van Zweden et al ., 2010)?
8. Will limited dispersal always favour altruism (Taylor 1992; Queller 1994)?
9. When is it OK to bite off your brothers head (West et al ., 2001)?
10. Given that spite can also be thought of as 'secondary altruism', is there any use in
distinguishing spite from altruism?
11. Should we expect spite to be common, and where would be the best places to look for novel
examples?
12. Are greenbeards likely to lead to the complex adaptations that we observe in animals?
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