FOR most people the phrase “survival of the fittest” evokes a picture of nature red in tooth and claw, a brutal struggle which the strongest individuals are destined to win. In fact, in biological terms the “fittest” can mean the cleverest, the best camouflaged, the most attractive – or even the nicest.
Altruism has proved to be an incredibly successful evolutionary strategy, from cells sacrificing themselves for the good of the body to worker bees’ devotion to their colony.But how does this trait evolve?
Ask most biologists and they’ll tell you that altruism is just a form of self-interest that evolves…
