The Darwinian Puzzle

The Darwinian Puzzle questions why complex, altruistic behaviors—like animals risking their lives to help others—persist in nature when they seem to reduce individual chances of reproduction. Evolution by natural selection favors traits that benefit an individual’s survival and reproductive success. So, how do such selfless acts coexist with this framework? The puzzle is addressed by mechanisms like kin selection (helping relatives share genes), reciprocal altruism (mutual aid over time), and group selection (beneficial traits spreading across groups). These explanations show that seemingly selfless behaviors can evolve because they ultimately enhance the reproductive success of genes shared among individuals.