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Editorial
. 2009 Apr 23;5(2):214-7.
doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0014. Epub 2009 Feb 25.

Darwin's 'one special difficulty': celebrating Darwin 200

Joan M Herbers  1
Affiliations
Editorial

Darwin's 'one special difficulty': celebrating Darwin 200

Joan M Herbers. Biol Lett. .

Abstract

Darwin identified eusocial evolution, especially of complex insect societies, as a particular challenge to his theory of natural selection. A century later, Hamilton provided a framework for selection on inclusive fitness. Hamilton's rule is robust and fertile, having generated multiple subdisciplines over the past 45 years. His suggestion that eusociality can be explained via kin selection, however, remains contentious. I review the continuing debate on the role of kin selection in eusocial evolution and suggest some lines of research that should resolve that debate.

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References

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