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A male black widow spider gingerly
approaches a huge female to mate. This
genetically driven act will reproduce
his genes but will lead to his death.See also: Evolution by natural selection 24–31 ■ The rules of heredity 32–33
■ The role of DNA 34–37 ■ Mutualisms 56–59THE STORY OF EVOLUTION
Dawkins was strongly influenced
by the work of William Donald
Hamilton on the nature of altruism
and closely examined the biology
of selfishness and altruism in The
Selfish Gene. He argued that
organisms were simply vehicles
that supported their genes, or
“replicators.” Genes that help an
organism survive and reproduce
tend also to improve those genes’
own chances of being replicated.
Successful genes often provide
a benefit to the host organism. For
example, a gene that protects an
animal or plant against disease
thereby helps that particular gene
to spread. However, the interests of
the replicator and the vehicle may
sometimes seem to be in conflict.
Genes drive the male black widow
spider to mate despite the risk of
being eaten by her. However, the
male’s sacrifice nourishes the
female and improves the prospect
of his genes being passed on.Selfishness and altruism
Gene selfishness usually gives rise
to selfishness in the behavior of an
individual organism, but there arecircumstances in which the gene
can achieve its own selfish goals by
fostering apparent altruism in the
organism. One example is kin
selection, the evolutionary strategy
that favours the reproductive
success of an individual organism’s
relatives, even at the cost of the
individual’s own reproduction
or survival.
An extreme example of
genetically based altruism is
eusociality. Honey bees are a eusocial
species. They live in colonies which
include breeding and non-breeding
individuals. By helping the colony
survive, the many thousands of
non-breeding worker bees ensure
the reproduction of the genes they
have in common with the sole
breeding individual, the queen.
Critics of Dawkins’ theory argue
that since individual genes do not
control behaviour, they cannot be
said to be acting selfishly. Dawkins
has maintained that he never
meant to suggest that genes had
their own conscious will. He later
wrote that “the immortal gene”
might have been a better title for
both his concept and the book. ■Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins was born
in Kenya to British parents.
After the family returned to
the UK, he developed a strong
interest in the natural world
and studied zoology at Oxford
University. While there, he
was tutored by Nobel Prize-
winner Niko Tinbergen, who
was a pioneer of animal
behavior studies. After a
brief period at the University
of California at Berkeley,
Dawkins returned to Oxford
to lecture in zoology.
Richard Dawkins is best
known for his book The Selfish
Gene, in which he argues
that the gene is the principle
unit of selection in evolution.
His theory later triggered a
series of fierce debates with
Stephen Jay Gould and other
evolutionary biologists.
Dawkins is also known as a
strong advocate of atheism
and feminism.Key works1976 The Selfish Gene
1982 The Extended Phenotype
1986 The Blind Watchmaker
2006 The God Delusion
2009 The Greatest Show
on Earth: The Evidence
for EvolutionThe theory of evolution
is about as much
open to doubt as the
theory that the Earth
goes around the Sun.
Richard DawkinsUS_038-039_The_Selfish_Gene.indd 39 12/11/18 6:24 PM