New discovery proves 'selfish gene' exists

June 20, 2008

A new discovery by a scientist from The University of Western Ontario

provides conclusive evidence which supports decades-old evolutionary

doctrines long accepted as fact.

Since renowned British biologist Dawkins ( " The God Delusion " )

introduced the concept of the 'selfish gene' in 1976, scientists the

world over have hailed the theory as a natural extension to the work

of Darwin.

In studying genomes, the word 'selfish' does not refer to the human-

describing adjective of self-centered behavior but rather to the

blind tendency of genes wanting to continue their existence into the

next generation. Ironically, this 'selfish' tendency can appear

anything but selfish when the gene does move ahead for selfless and

even self-sacrificing reasons.

For instance, in the honey bee colony, a complex social breeding

system described as a 'super-organism,' the female worker bees are

sterile. The adult queen bee, selected and developed by the worker

bees, is left to mate with the male drones.

Because the 'selfish' gene controlling worker sterility has never

been isolated by scientists, the understanding of how reproductive

altruism can evolve has been entirely theoretical – until now.

Working with Oxley of the University of Sydney in Australia,

Western biology professor Graham has, for the first time-

ever, isolated a region on the honey bee genome that houses

this 'selfish' gene in female workers bees.

This means that the 'selfish' gene does exist, not just in theory but

in reality. " We don't know exactly which gene it is, but we're

getting close. "

" This basically provides a validation for a huge body of socio-

biology, " says , who adds the completion of Honey Bee Genome

Project in 2006 was crucial to this discovery.

Recommended Posts