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Kin selection facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Todd Huffman - Lattice (by)
The co-operative behaviour of social insects like the honey bee can be explained by kin selection

Kin selection is the evolutionary strategy that favours the reproductive success of an organism's relatives, even at a cost to the organism's own survival and reproduction. Charles Darwin discussed the concept of kin selection in his 1859 book, On the Origin of Species.

Kin recognition allows individuals to be able to identify their relatives. In humans, self-sacrifice is both more likely and on a larger scale with kin than with unrelated individuals; for example, humans give presents according to how closely related they are to the recipient.

In other species, vervet monkeys use allomothering, where related females such as older sisters or grandmothers often care for young, according to their relatedness. Kin selection causes changes in gene frequency across generations, driven by interactions between related individuals.

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Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de parentesco para niños

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