Cited by 1,259Evolutionary Game Theory and CooperationEvolution and Genetic DynamicsAnimal Behavior and Reproduction

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A theory of group selection.

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Wilson, D S·1975·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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In organisms possessing a dispersal phase the processes of mating, competition, feeding, and predation are often carried out within "trait-groups," defined as populations enclosed in areas smaller than the boundaries of the deme. A simple model shows that this can lead to the selection of "altruistic" traits that favor the fitness of the group over that of the individual. The extent of group selection that occurs depends mainly on the variation in the composition of genotypes between trait-groups. The traditional concepts of group and individual selection are seen as two extremes of a continuum, with systems in nature operating over the interval in between.

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Group selection on the boundary of a stable population
Boorman, S. A., & Levitt, P. R. (1973) · Theoretical Population Biology · doi:10.1016/0040-5809(73)90007-5 · Cited by 242

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Authors: Wilson, D. S.
Corresponding author: Wilson, D S
Venue: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Published: 1975-01
Volume: 72
Issue: 1
Pages: 143-146
ISSN: 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
1091-6490
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.72.1.143
PMC: PMC432258
OpenAlex: W2087169316
Cited by: 1,259
References: 1
Citations by year: 2026: 22 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 75 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 70 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 65 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 49 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 43 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 30
FWCI: 74.93
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
europepmc.org
Locations: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Keywords: group selection, altruism, dispersal, demes, individual selection, kin selection, evolutionary theory, predation and competition
MeSH terms: Animals, Behavior, Animal, Ecology, Biological Evolution, Gene Frequency, Genetics, Population, Genotype, Mathematics, Models, Biological, Selection, Genetic, Genetic Variation

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A theory of group selection.

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