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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Multilevel selection theory and evidence: a critique of Gardner, 2015

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Author(s):
Goodnight, C. J.
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Journal article
Source: JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY; v. 28, n. 9, p. 1734-1746, SEP 2015.
Web of Science Citations: 14
Abstract

Gardner (2015) recently developed a model of a `Genetical Theory of Multilevel Selection, which is a thoughtfully developed, but flawed model. The model's flaws appear to be symptomatic of common misunderstandings of the multi level selection (MLS) literature and the recent quantitative genetic literature. I use Gardner's model as a guide for highlighting how the MLS literature can address the misconceptions found in his model, and the kin selection literature in general. I discuss research on the efficacy of group selection, the roll of indirect genetic effects in affecting the response to selection and the heritability of group-level traits. I also discuss why the Price multilevel partition should not be used to partition MLS, and why contextual analysis and, by association, direct fitness are appropriate for partitioning MLS. Finally, I discuss conceptual issues around questions concerning the level at which fitness is measured, the units of selection, and I present a brief outline of a model of selection in class-structured populations. I argue that the results derived from the MLS research tradition can inform kin selection research and models, and provide insights that will allow researchers to avoid conceptual flaws such as those seen in the Gardner model. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 14/04455-5 - Dr. Charles Goodnight's Sabbatical at the Dept. of Genetics and Evolution - UFSCar
Grantee:Reinaldo Otávio Alvarenga Alves de Brito
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International