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Comment
. 2014 Jun;37(3):271-2.
doi: 10.1017/S0140525X13002999.

Group-level traits are not units of selection

Carlos Santana  1 , Michael Weisberg  1
Affiliations
Comment

Group-level traits are not units of selection

Carlos Santana et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

We argue that Smaldino has not established that group-level traits constitute a unit of selection distinct from selection on individuals, as group-level traits are neither replicators nor interactors. Moreover, we argue that Wimsatt's analysis of emergence and aggregativity supports an understanding of group-level and other emergent traits as explanatorily reducible to the individual level.

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  • Group-level traits emerge.
    Smaldino PE. Smaldino PE. Behav Brain Sci. 2014 Jun;37(3):281-95. doi: 10.1017/s0140525x13003531. Behav Brain Sci. 2014. PMID: 25101360

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