Rethinking Eusociality

Last week I was watching the end of the classic film, Runaway Train. As Manny doomed himself (and the Warden) to save Buck and Sarah (a very young Rebecca De Mornay) he was displaying a trait found in both animal and human and thought to be particularly played out in insects and humans, called Eusociality. Eusociality encompasses a much broader concept of altruism, which, in the context of ontology and sociology, is selfless love to others even at the detriment of self. Darwinian evolution explains altruism in the light of kin selection, meaning animals will sacrifice their ability to reproduce or survive if they have a better chance that their DNA will survive through close relatives and their subsequent reproduction. But, altruism outside of kin selection in the animal world, has been explained theoretically by eusociality -- the observable phenomenon in which members of the same species, overlapping in both DNA and generations, care for each other. The thought is they (and we) do this because it ultimately may increase the fidelity of our DNA through our society, primarily. However, kin selection is still an element. Consider this illustration in humans: Most people do other people favors that they do not share their DNA with. Of course, this is usually quid pro quo, and always quid pro quo in non-Christians. This could theoretically improve their survival and the fidelity of their DNA. In insects, many insects take a suicidal role for the betterment of their colonies. This improvement in theory could ultimately improve their chances to propagate (through their close relatives) their DNA. However, the primary force of eusocialism was thought to be group (society) selection. Not anymore.

Here at Harvard, Martin Nowak leads one of the most impressive evolutionary dynamics programs in the world, and is today towards the top of the list of the eminent evolutionary biologists worldwide. A study led by him and recently published in the August edition of Nature, is a true paradigm shifter for eusocialism. By using mathematical modeling, Nowak and colleagues have showed that in fact eusocialism can simply and in fact be explained by survival of the fittest (his work is done in bees). Thus, it seems, outside of kin selection, altruism may be unique to humans, and survival of the fittest "society" may in fact not be what it was once thought to be.

Of course, this is interesting to the Jew and Christian because it may have implications on the Imago Dei, Image of God. While there is no debating that altruism in humans is unique to all other species, whether evolution has provided us with the genetic framework to exercise this altruism must be in serious question right now following Nowak's work. It may be that God uniquely puts in our heart the ability for altruism outside of kin selection during the process of inception, and not during the process of evolution.

Evolutionary biologists are taught to hypothesize outside of the possibility of supernatural causation. However, the evidence from this field continues to point to supernatural causation as the origin, maintenance and creation of life. And ultimately, our acceptance of the supernatural hinges solely on our willingness to perform these acts, after putting our trust in the finished work of God's Son.

Finally, it should be noted, Martin Nowak is a resolute Christian.