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Scientists Discover Evidence of Selfish Gene
June 23, 2008 06:15 PM
by
Rachel Balik
Scientists studying honeybee colonies have isolated the gene responsible for reproductive altruism.
30-Second Summary
In 1976, biologist Richard Dawkins put forth the theory of the “selfish gene,” the idea that genes program specific behaviors that will increase the possibility that those genes will be passed on. Although there was no cohesive scientific evidence to back the theory up at the time, it was widely accepted as a logical addition to Darwin’s theory of evolution.
A 2006 London Times review suggests that “Dawkins’s tour de force, then, was to mine the ore of technical genetic theory from scattered scientific journals and forge it into a powerful, unified conceptual structure—the gene’s eye view—that was coherent, comprehensible to everyone and an inspiration for further work.” Now, it has inspired enough “further work” that evidence supporting the theory appears to have been found.
Honeybees reproduce via “a complex social breeding system described as a ‘super-organism.’” In this system, all female bees except the queen bee are sterile. Rather than reproduce themselves, they work to protect the queen bee and ensure the safety of her offspring. The practice is known as “reproductive altruism” and is described in Dawkins’s book. Scientists at the University of Western Ontario are close to isolating a selfish gene that appears to control the worker bees’ sterility.
A 2006 London Times review suggests that “Dawkins’s tour de force, then, was to mine the ore of technical genetic theory from scattered scientific journals and forge it into a powerful, unified conceptual structure—the gene’s eye view—that was coherent, comprehensible to everyone and an inspiration for further work.” Now, it has inspired enough “further work” that evidence supporting the theory appears to have been found.
Honeybees reproduce via “a complex social breeding system described as a ‘super-organism.’” In this system, all female bees except the queen bee are sterile. Rather than reproduce themselves, they work to protect the queen bee and ensure the safety of her offspring. The practice is known as “reproductive altruism” and is described in Dawkins’s book. Scientists at the University of Western Ontario are close to isolating a selfish gene that appears to control the worker bees’ sterility.
Headline Link: ‘Discovery proves “selfish gene” exists’
Graham Thompson, biology professor at the University of Western Ontario, studied honeybee communities in which the worker bees are all sterile females, leaving only the queen bee to mate with the male drones. The colonies function by employing “reproductive altruism.” The female bees that do not reproduce protect the offspring of the queen bee and produce honey. Scientists have long suspected that the bees possessed a selfish gene ensuring this sterility. Now, Thompson, with the help of Peter Oxley from the University of Sydney, has isolated the “selfish” gene that controls the female bees’ reproduction and ensures the evolutionary success of the colony. “This basically provides a validation for a huge body of sociobiology,” Thompson said.
Source: University of Western Ontario
Background: How “The Selfish Gene” Changed Science
Jerry Coyne of the University of Chicago’s ecology and evolution department reviewed the 30th anniversary edition of Richard Dawkins’s book “The Selfish Gene,” for the Times of London, describing the varied reactions to what he says is “no ordinary science book.” Understandably, some felt Dawkins’s portrayal of humans as “survival machines” was unappealing. Others misunderstood and assumed Dawkins meant the genes themselves were actually selfish. Coyne clarifies the point: “What Dawkins actually showed was that, under natural selection, genes behave as if they were actors having selfish motivations.” Even without scientific evidence for its assertions, the book changed the scientific world.
Source: The Times of London
Reference: Honeybees and ‘The Selfish Gene’
The Honey Bee Genome Project provided essential data to the researchers who discovered the selfish gene. The data is available from the Sequencing Center Web site.
Source: Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine
“The Selfish Gene,” written by Richard Dawkins and first published in 1976, puts forth the theory that our genes program specific behaviors that will increase our likelihood of reproducing and transmitting those genes to the next generation.
Source: Dulcinea Media Store
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