What is the Difference Between Reciprocal Altruism and Kin Selection?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between reciprocal altruism and kin selection lies in the relationships between the individuals involved in the altruistic behavior.
Reciprocal Altruism:
- Occurs between two unrelated individuals.
- Involves indirect increments to inclusive fitness.
- One individual makes sacrifices for another unrelated individual with the promise of future aid.
- Developed by Robert Trivers.
Kin Selection:
- Occurs between closely related organisms.
- An evolutionary strategy that favors the reproductive success of relatives.
- One individual makes sacrifices for relatives/closely related organisms without the promise of a direct return.
- Involves indirect increments to inclusive fitness.
- Coined by William H. Hamilton.
While both reciprocal altruism and kin selection are types of altruism that temporarily reduce the fitness of the organism performing the action, reciprocal altruism is characterized by an exchange of aid between unrelated individuals, whereas kin selection involves family members helping one another.
Comparative Table: Reciprocal Altruism vs Kin Selection
Here is a table comparing the differences between reciprocal altruism and kin selection:
Feature | Reciprocal Altruism | Kin Selection |
---|---|---|
Definition | Reciprocal altruism is the altruism that occurs between two unrelated individuals. | Kin selection is an evolutionary strategy that favors the reproductive success of relatives. |
Basis | Occurs with the promise of future aid. | Based on the concept of inclusive fitness, which includes individual survival, reproduction, and any impact that an individual's behavior has on the survival and reproduction of relatives. |
Relationship | No need for two individuals to be relatives. | Involves closely related organisms. |
Mechanism | Increases the fitness of other individuals at the expense of the individual performing the action. | An animal engages in self-sacrificial behavior that benefits the genetic fitness of its relatives. |
In summary, reciprocal altruism involves unrelated individuals engaging in cooperative behavior with the expectation of future benefits, while kin selection focuses on the reproductive success of closely related organisms through altruistic behavior.
- Altruism vs Prosocial Behavior
- Egoism vs Altruism
- Family vs Kinship
- Monohybrid Cross vs Reciprocal Cross
- Natural Selection vs Artificial Selection
- Reciprocal Cross vs Test Cross
- Natural Selection vs Sexual Selection
- Kindness vs Generosity
- Natural Selection vs Evolution
- Spatial Sorting vs Natural Selection
- Reciprocal vs Nonreciprocal Translocation
- Natural Selection vs Genetic Drift
- Complementation vs Recombination
- Robertsonian vs Reciprocal Translocation
- Recombination vs Crossing Over
- Mutation vs Recombination
- Parasitism vs Mutualism
- Intrasexual vs Intersexual Selection
- Artificial Selection vs Genetic Engineering