Group Selection

Group selection is a concept in evolutionary biology that suggests natural selection can act on groups of organisms, rather than just on individuals. According to this idea, traits that benefit the whole group—such as cooperation or altruism—can evolve if they help the group survive and reproduce, even if they may not benefit each individual within the group. This contrasts with individual selection, which focuses on how traits help individual organisms survive. Group selection highlights the importance of social behaviors and how they can contribute to the success of communities or species as a whole.