Review: The Selfish Gene

The selfish Gene proposes a evolution theory of gene evolution with a competetion between altruistic and selfish genes. One key question which I have, Where does altruism come from?

First chapter: A general idea of "gene evolution" theory with discussion of Darwinian idea of survival of the fitest. The key question is, whose survival?; individual's survival; group's survival; or whole specie's survival. Several example is given in this reference including penguine pushing each other in water to check deadly seal's presense, or the parent bird putting themselves at risk for their offspring's survival. The third proposition is Gene's survival.

Second chapter: In this chapter, the building block and replicator proteins are proposed to be the origin of life. A key emphasis was given on a stable configuration of proteins by giving several examples of different phenomenon in the physical world which are stable. Some kind of optimisation again which now pisses me off as well :p The world doesnt work on equilibrium only lol. Patterns are specific example of non-equilibrium sytems.

Third Chapter: DNA is suggested here as a first replicator protein (may be usurper?) which could be our oldest ancestor. DNA in not only able to make multiple copies of itself but also from a copy can create proteins such as haemoglobin, indicating a further implication of it as a guided formation of an embryo. The bodies are just vehicles for genes which mostly die out, but by natural selection or sexual-reproduction transfer themselves into a new vehicle. So ironically, genes are evolving and developing strategies by natural selection to survive and natural selection favour the genes who can build better survival machines.

Fourth Chapter: Less understanding re-read

Fifth Chapter: Agression [DISCUSS MORE]. Also discussing the evolutionary stable strategy (ESS), where strategy simply means a pre-programmed behavior. In this regard, game-theory is used and multiple strategy is discussed. For instance, in case of two species, hawk and dowe, a common strategy could be: If "hawk" meets "hawk" attack; If "hawk" meets "dowe" attack; If "dowe" meets "dowe" retreat. So "dowe" always retreats and "hawk" always attack. In addition they can always cheat--as a mutant. The interaction of these two species, interestingly, can lead to a stable population. This way, the territorial defence is explained where one specie defends it's territory.

In sixth chapter we turn toward the goal of selfish gene and assume it to be able to help its own replicas, which seems altruistic but driven by gene selfishness.
An example of Albino gene is given which many of us have. In theory this gene can assist itself for survival. In doing so Albino gene can sacrifice a body to save more bodies containing it, therefore show altruism. However, as nasty as it looks, it is not a consious but an implanted strategy in the bodies to behave altruistically towards people with similar features which is result of the same gene. The advantage of this simple strategy is to become more numerous in gene pool.
A gene can have multiple effects including physical labels (a green beard) and behavioral (altruism) so that it can recognize itself and help in survival. Although it doesn't need to have a physical label to recognize itself, an altruistic behavior is also a label.
Altruism toward close relatives including parents altruism toward child is another example of gene helping itself.
Hamilton et el., 1964, showed using basic probability calculations that there is a higher chance that family member shared similar genes. A rare gene such as Albino is not so rare in a family whose members have it. Kids shared 50% of genes of the parents and 25% of grandparents. Brothers and sister have same relatedness(= 1/2) to the parents while twins shared same genes with relatedness 1. For details, please refer to the book
Based on the index of relatedness we can comment on kin-altruism (within family). Suicidal saving based on the higher relatedness helps a gene to flourish in gene pool. For instance saving brothers is more favorable than saving second cousins. Saving a twin who shares 100% of your genes should be even more important.
The idea of family and non-family is also not literal but, as Hamilton argued, is just a matter of probability. In animal kingdom it is not clear that animals know who is the member of familym, except parents.
Back to the suicidal saving or altruism. We will use from now statistical risk of death of savior instead of saving. To save someone, there is a cost and benefit analysis, unconsiously, goes on in our mind. Saving a distant cousin is worthy, if there is less risk involved. In this calculations the life expectency is also important. For example, saving grandparents has less selective advantage than saving a grandchild who has longer life expectency and can help the gene spread. Contrary is true in species with high infant-mortality rates. Considering all these factors, the suicidal savior will decided based on the calculation, accounting the relatedness and life expectency of victim to take the risk of saving.
Genes also act on past experiences so if there is a drastic change in conditions such as climate change, the survival machines (bodies) can make mistakes and therefore the gene can get extinct.