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RESTRICTED MIGRATION AND THE EVOLUTION OF ALTRUISM
Author(s) -
Kelly John K.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1992.tb01139.x
Subject(s) - altruism (biology) , biology , kin selection , population , selection (genetic algorithm) , evolutionary biology , group selection , demography , sociology , computer science , artificial intelligence
A suggestion that limited migration, i.e., population viscosity, should favor the evolution of altruism has been challenged by recent kin selection models explicitly incorporating restricted migration. It is demonstrated that these models compound two distinct elements of population structure, spatial‐genotypic variation and density regulation. These two characteristics are often determined by distinct biological processes. While they may be linked under certain circumstances, this is not invariably true. A simple modification of the migration system employed in these studies decouples migration and population regulation thus favoring inter‐group selection. At least in some cases, restricted migration will facilitate the evolution of altruism.