The mechanisms of kin discrimination and the evolution of kin recognition in vertebrates: a critical re-evaluation

Abstract

I re-examine the four most widely proposed mechanisms of kin discrimination among vertebrates and conclude that the current categorization of kin discrimination mechanisms has been counterproductive because it has a hindered a clear understanding of the basic mechanisms by which animals discriminate kin. I suggest that there likely is only one authentic mechanism of kin discrimination and that this mechanism is learning, particularly associative learning and habituation. Observed differences in the way animals discriminate between kin and non-kin are due only to the cues (e.g., individually-distinctive, family-distinctive, or self) that are used, and not to different mechanisms per se. I also consider whether kin discrimination is mediated by specially evolved kin recognition systems, defined as neural mechanisms that allow animals to directly classify conspecifics as either kin or non-kin. A preliminary analysis of vertebrate recognition systems suggests that specialized neural, endocrine, and developmental mechanisms specifically for recognizing kin have not evolved. Rather, kin discrimination results from an extension of other, non-specialized sensory and cognitive abilities of animals, and may be derived from other forms of social recognition, such as individual, group, or species recognition.