Darwinian puzzle
Encyclopedia
A Darwinian puzzle is a trait that appears to reduce the fitness
of individuals that possess it. Such traits attract the attention of evolutionary biologists. The phrase "Darwinian puzzle" itself is rare and of unclear origin; it appears most often, but not always, in the context of animal behavior.
Fitness (biology)
Fitness is a central idea in evolutionary theory. It can be defined either with respect to a genotype or to a phenotype in a given environment...
of individuals that possess it. Such traits attract the attention of evolutionary biologists. The phrase "Darwinian puzzle" itself is rare and of unclear origin; it appears most often, but not always, in the context of animal behavior.
Examples
The following phenomena are sometimes called Darwinian puzzles:- Altruism in animalsAltruism in animalsAltruism is a well-documented animal behaviour, which appears most obviously in kin relationships but may also be evident amongst wider social groups, in which an animal sacrifices its own well-being for the benefit of another animal.- Overview :...
- Homosexuality in animals
- Cellular senescenceSenescenceSenescence or biological aging is the change in the biology of an organism as it ages after its maturity. Such changes range from those affecting its cells and their function to those affecting the whole organism...