I read this overview of a paper that suggests that cooperation, altruism and symbiosis are more common than biologists originally thought (and across taxa and time). Dawkin's Selfish Gene made group selection a joke, but the pendulum seems to be swinging the other way with evidence of self-sacrifice (at least in terms of direct reproduction for some individuals) for the overall health of a group, or the ability to survive in tough niches. Inevitably, the pendulum always settles in the middle though. Some examples of selfishness and cheating exist, as well as examples of altruism and group selection. And of course, organisms can shift over time to one side or the other. Such is life.
Check it out.
In other news, it's raining. Still. The fish are going to be happy, as are the fishermen and the farmers and everyone else who fights over water in the bay/delta area. On the other hand, with no water shortage it will be difficult to pass any kind of reform in delta management policies. Unless of course there are levy failures...which in my opinion would be pretty exciting! I'd love to be there when one of the levies breaks and water fills in submerged islands. Crazy!
One of my goals has been to learn more about the bay/delta ecosystem and the crisis it is facing. It's a complex issue, with many stakeholders that are bitterly opposed to each other. UC Davis is one of the centers for the issues, which is awfully convenient. At some point I'll try to put a post together with an overview of the topic.
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