Which notion proposes that animals act for the good of their group or species and is largely discredited?

Which notion proposes that animals act for the good of their group or species and is largely discredited?

• A. Kin selection
• B. Inclusive fitness
• C. Group selection
• D. Adaptationism

Answer: (C)

Selection can operate at different levels, and this notion specifically treats altruistic acts as benefits to the group or species. In other words, traits are favored because they help the group flourish, even if individual members pay a cost. This group-level view has been largely discredited because the most robust explanations for altruism come from gene-centered processes like kin selection and inclusive fitness, which show how helping relatives can increase an individual’s genetic contribution to future generations. Group selection runs into problems because altruists can be exploited by selfish individuals who don’t pay the costs, undermining the stability of group-level advantages unless very strict population structure exists. Adaptationism, on the other hand, is a broader approach to explaining traits as adaptive, not a theory about the level at which selection acts. So the notion described is group selection, the idea that selection operates primarily at the group level, which modern thinking treats as insufficient on its own to explain most altruistic behaviors.

Selection can operate at different levels, and this notion specifically treats altruistic acts as benefits to the group or species. In other words, traits are favored because they help the group flourish, even if individual members pay a cost. This group-level view has been largely discredited because the most robust explanations for altruism come from gene-centered processes like kin selection and inclusive fitness, which show how helping relatives can increase an individual’s genetic contribution to future generations. Group selection runs into problems because altruists can be exploited by selfish individuals who don’t pay the costs, undermining the stability of group-level advantages unless very strict population structure exists. Adaptationism, on the other hand, is a broader approach to explaining traits as adaptive, not a theory about the level at which selection acts. So the notion described is group selection, the idea that selection operates primarily at the group level, which modern thinking treats as insufficient on its own to explain most altruistic behaviors.