Altruism 6

Question 1

What is altruism?

Answer 1

Behaviours that increase others survival chances at a cost to your own.

Question 2

What are 3 studies showing animal altruism?

Answer 2

Wilkinson 1990-
Vampires bats blood

Sherman 1997-
Ground squirrel mating call

Burkart 2007-
Marmoset unrelated others food

Burda et al 2000-
Naked mole rats eusocial

Question 3

What does inclusive fitness refer to?

Answer 3

Ability of an organism to pass on its genes to the next generation by direct fitness (offspring) or by indirect fitness (aid to a relative)

Question 4

What is evidence for kin selection?

Answer 4

Hamilton’s rule-
R x B > C

• coefficient of relatedness
• benefit to receiver
• cost to give

Wilkinson 1990-
More likely to share with relatives
Sherman 1997-
Only signal when loads around

Question 5

When is altruism not costly but rather adaptive?

Answer 5

If you consider the genes eye view

Question 6

What is the evidence for kin selection in humans?

Answer 6

Barrett 2002-

• Food sharing common amongst close relatives.
• passing on of wealth to lineal descendants is far more common.
• relatives typically receive more expensive presents

Burnstein 1994

• burning building
• young over old
• close kin over distant
• healthy over sick
• wealthy over poor

Question 7

How do we know our kin?

Answer 7

Platek 2004

• men preferred morphs of faces containing 25% of their own face
• women relatively indifferent to resemblance.

DeBruine 2002-
-facial similarity elicits trust from others- adaptive response to kin.

Question 8

What are contradictory studies for kin selection?

Answer 8

DeWaal and Luttrell 1988-
-Chimpanzees will help unrelated others.

Burkart 2007-
-marmoset monkeys will give to unrelated non-reciprocating others.

Question 9

What is a supporting argument for reciprocal altruism?

Answer 9

Trivers 1971-
NS or SS could create psychological mechanisms to provide benefits to non-related provided:
- benefits outweigh costs
-memory and recognition of individuals to sport cheaters.
-possibility of repeated interaction

Question 10

What does axelrod 1981 suggest?

Answer 10

Evolutionary stable strategy of tit for tat

-constant cooperating with instant punishment leads to mutual benefit

Question 11

What are supporting studies that humans use social exchanges to recall cheaters?

Answer 11

Henrich et al 2005-
Humans have innate mechanisms to provide aid to those related to us and who could provide future aid.

Sigmund 2002-
This developed from small group living where cheaters wouldn’t have been able to cheat twice, we also expect others to remember our actions.