title: Social selection is a powerful explanation for prosociality.
abstract: Cultural group selection helps explain human cooperation, but social selection offers a complementary, more powerful explanation. Just as sexual selection shapes extreme traits that increase matings, social selection shapes extreme traits that make individuals preferred social partners. Self-interested partner choices create strong and possibly runaway selection for prosocial traits, without requiring group selection, kin selection, or reciprocity.
authors: Center for Evolution and Medicine,Arizona State University,Tempe,AZ 85287-4501.nesse@asu.eduhttp://RandolphNesse.com.
authors: Randolph M
authors: RM
authors: Nesse
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010641:Phenotype; D012098:Reproduction; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012919:Social Behavior