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Altruism in Social Insects: Voluntary Cooperation vs. Coercion Dynamics

This article delves into the intricacies of altruism within eusocial insects, exploring whether such behaviors arise from voluntary actions or coercive mechanisms. We examine how altruism is defined as reducing an actor's direct fitness to boost a recipient's fitness, particularly in sterile worker castes. The piece highlights kin selection and inclusive fitness, discussing the role of coercion, punishment, and policing in promoting altruism among workers. We analyze cases in honeybees and other social insects to reveal the evolutionary significance of both voluntary and coerced altruism.

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Altruism in Social Insects: Voluntary Cooperation vs. Coercion Dynamics

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  1. Altruism: Voluntary or Coerced? Altruism Requires Decrease Actor’s Direct Fitness Increase Recipient’s Direct Fitness Social Insects Eusociality  Sterile Worker Caste Workers Altruists Kin Selection & Inclusive Fitness?

  2. Eusocial Altruism Economics of Inclusive Fitness Must Apply: Evolution by Natural Selection Altruism Voluntary or Altruism Socially Coerced?

  3. Coercion Punishment or “Policing” of Group Members Inhibits Selfishness Punishment: Deters Recipient’s Future Selfishness Aggression Policing: Deters Recipient’s Current Selfishness Queen, Workers Aggression to Inhibit Ovarian Function Eat Worker-Laid Eggs

  4. Ratnieks & Wenseleers (2007) TREE 23:45. Inclusive Fitness Calculations: Compare Voluntary vs Coerced Altruism Variety of Behaviors, Variation in Relatedness Argue for Significance of Coercion

  5. Ratnieks & Wenseleers (2007) TREE 23:45. Coercion, by Queen or Other Workers Promotes Worker Altruism Reduces Benefit of Direct Worker Reproduction, Relative to Benefit of Rearing Kin Workers Comply with Group Norm Maintains Caste Altruism Assert: Cooperation Can be Enforced

  6. Ratnieks & Wenseleers (2007)TREE 23:45. Examples: Social Insects, Social Vertebrates Plant

  7. Ratnieks & Wenseleers (2007) TREE 23:45. Honeybees Queen Mates with 1 – 10 Males Worker Related to Sister: 0.75  r  0.3 Relatedness May Be Too Low for Voluntary Altruism of Hamilton’s Rule Worker Can Be More Closely Related to Own Offspring Than to Queen’s Offspring

  8. Ratnieks & Wenseleers (2007) TREE 23:45. Honeybees Altruism Persists Workers Kill/Police Eggs Laid by Other Workers Deters Current Worker Reproduction Benefit of Rearing Kin May Be Greater

  9. Ratnieks & Wenseleers (2007) TREE 23:45. If Too Many Workers Laid Eggs: Overwhelm Remaining Workers Colony Would “Die” All Individuals: No Inclusive Fitness May Favor Coercion to Enforce Altruism

  10. Ratnieks & Wenseleers (2007) TREE 23:45. Eusocial Form: 20 – 40  106 Years Old, Across Insecta Some Cases: Kin-Selected, Voluntary Altruism Other Cases: Coerced Altruism

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