From: Oliver Sparrow 
Date: Mon, 28 Oct 1996 17:24:42 +0100
Organization: Royal Institute of International Affairs

  writes:

>  but the conclusion that the suffering of the underlings
> is selected for because it benefits the overlings, that seems a bit of a
> stretch, don't you think?

Not really. Only the alpha males get to breed: what helps them is what
gets passed on. There are many examples of what are called 'polymorphisms',
genetic packages which have two phenotypes, or expressed forms. Sacrificial
phenotypes are common. Indeeds, brightly coloured insects are often thus
coloured to remind bird that that form tasted horrible the last time that they eat it.
Not a lot of use to the devoured example, however, which stood out like a screaming
invitiation to the naive bird.

 (Sheesh! These guys never cease to amaze me.)

Ethnologists? Or nature?

> For one thing, group selection has been largely ruled out by most
> responsible authors going all the way back to J.B.S. Haldane.

No, no, no: group selection (if by this you mean the propagation of a 
gene or cluster of genes which confer group, rathert than individual 
advantage) is well established and, after all, logical. For example, pack animals
which support the dominant (breeding) pair get their genes propagated if they are blood 
relations of them. Their support is directly related to the degree of relationship.
How does this work? Astonishingly, amny mammals (including, at a preconscious 
level H sap) can smell if they are relations. 

_________________________________________________

  Oliver Sparrow
  ohgs@chatham.demon.co.uk