The Ant and the Peacock: Sexual Selection and Altruistic Behavior

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- Title: The Ant and the Peacock
- Author:
- ISBN: ISBN 4-87502-238-7
- Publisher: Kousakusha

Content Description
Approximately 150 years have passed since Darwin announced his theory of evolution. During that time, there were two major problems that constantly threatened Darwinism: "sexual selection" and "altruistic behavior." How did Darwin and Wallace try to solve these problems? How did evolutionists in the first half of the 20th century deal with this issue? And how did the new theory of evolution, established by Dawkins, Maynard Smith, and others, find a way to solve it? This is a stimulating essay that tackles the hottest topics still debated in the biological world.

Table of Contents
1. Darwin's Theory and Its Opponents, Converts (Humans are "living documents"; A world without Darwin; Past Darwinian theory, modern Darwinian theory; The problem of design imprinted on living things)
2. The Peacock (The problem of the peacock's tail feathers; Can everything be explained by natural selection alone?; Do females really change males?; Do discerning females prefer sexy males?; Did the experimental results settle the sexual selection debate?; The "ghost of Darwinism" overcome)
3. The Ant (How is altruistic behavior currently interpreted?; How was altruistic behavior once interpreted?; The problem of social insects: Kind siblings; "Let's get along without fighting": Ritualistic combat; Human altruistic behavior: Is it natural?; The history of the debate over reproduction between different lineages)