# Is There Any Evidence Of Altruism In Animals? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591 "2002-11-13T16:30:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/1 "2002-11-13T16:30:00Z")
Are there any documented cases of altruistic acts performed by non-human animals? By altruism, I mean acts that do not help to propagate the genes of the ‘altruistic’ animal in any way (nothing expected in return for the favor). If not, why is it assumed that humans are capable of something other animals are not? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/2 "2002-11-13T16:51:23Z")
> [@](#): > > If not, why is it assumed that humans are capable of something other animals are not? The environment in which humans find themselves is not the environment to which they are adapted. The sperm banks are not (eww) flooded. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/3 "2002-11-13T17:20:03Z")
I don’t understand. What’s different about our environment that would make us become altruistic? ---
**Author:** ![hedra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@hedra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hedra)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/4 "2002-11-13T17:31:13Z")
Back to the OP… Vampire bats will regurgitate blood for other bats who cannot leave the cave. Whether they expect a return of the favor later, who knows? But it doesn’t help their own genes directly. It helps their colony, which may help their own genes (strong colony = survival). Elephants adopt orphans. Heck, many species will adopt and feed orphaned babies not directly related to themselves. Most common in the animals who live in groups (bats do this, too). Rhinos adopt older (non-orphaned) calves, and nurse them. Fostering, kind of. Not sure if it is altrusitic, but it does help the older calf survive, and not necessarily related, again. Altruism isn’t a direct reward system, but it does seem to be related to survival. In social systems (which are indeed part of our survival awareness), social behavior has rewards and consequences. Animals that have positive relationships with others, regardless of their genetic relationship, can expect payback in terms of status, access to reproduction, resources. Be nice to others with no immediate payback, you can still expect a long-term impact on your survival. You become ‘that nice guy who helps people out’ - and when you fall on hard times, you can probably expect a return of the favor. Even if you hadn’t planned on that being so, it does pay off. And that increases the chances that your genes will pass on. The ‘urge’ to be ‘altruistic’ isn’t truly a solitary event, unrelated to survival. It is deeply tied to survival, just requires a social component to the survival process. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/5 "2002-11-13T17:53:27Z")
Altruism in the animal kingdom is so common that Richard Dawkins wrote a book called _The Selfish Gene_ which attempts, among other things, to explain altruistic behavior from an evolutionary standpoint. It’s good reading, and intelligible to the layperson. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/6 "2002-11-13T18:05:39Z")
From a [National Geographic article on meerkats](http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0209/feature3/index.html): > [@](#): > > According to evolutionary logic, an individual’s success is usually measured by the number of offspring it raises, but some meerkats spend part or all of their lives helping others raise young rather than breeding themselves. Such seemingly altruistic behavior can be found in very few mammals, but even within this select group, which includes mole rats, marmosets, wild dogs, and some other mongooses, meerkats are unique in the extent and coordination of their cooperative activities. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/7 "2002-11-13T18:24:54Z")
Okay, are the elephants and meerkats helping to raise the young of other elephants and meerkats that are closely _related_ to them, such as their neices and nephews? If so, then their behavior is only _seemingly_ altruistic, but from a biological standpoint it would be self-serving. If not, wouldn’t their lack of reproducing cause them to die out, taking their altruistic behavior with them? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/8 "2002-11-13T18:37:33Z")
Also, it’ clear to me how cooperative behavior could evolve. Both sides benefit from cooperation, and they can go on to produce more offspring from the benefits of this behavior. But altruism is different- there’s NO benefit to the altruistic animal, only a cost. And surely natural selection would weed out someone who took on costs but received no benefits. Right? ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/9 "2002-11-13T19:05:37Z")
It may be a species thing: A species whose members have a tendancy to help each other will advance farther than one of selfish bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/10 "2002-11-13T19:53:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Surreal \* > \*\*Also, it’ clear to me how cooperative behavior could evolve. Both sides benefit from cooperation, and they can go on to produce more offspring from the benefits of this behavior. > > But altruism is different- there’s NO benefit to the altruistic animal, only a cost. And surely natural selection would weed out someone who took on costs but received no benefits. Right? \*\* I think you’re drawing a distinction between “cooperation” and “altruism” which doesn’t exist at the genetic level. We might simply have a generic “help others” gene or an “empathy” gene which impels us to respond to the needs of our fellows. Now, acting on this impulse in any _particular_ situation may or may not directly contribute to the propagation of our genes, but on the whole, possessing such an “empathy” would confer an evolutionary advantage for a social animal like a meerkat or a human. (For reasons already explained nicely by **hedra**.) ---
**Author:** ![RadioWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/11 "2002-11-13T20:16:40Z")
There are termites that will literally [explode themselves](http://www.insectia.com/beta/e/dr_c2169639.html) to protect a nest which has been attacked by enemy ants. I strongly doubt that termites have the ability to think about the morality of their actions meaning that the behavior is bred in by evolution. This agrees with **robertligouri’s** statement that animals which have altruistic tendancies have a better chance at survival. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/12 "2002-11-13T20:19:09Z")
How about [this](http://www.catsinthenews.com/issues/0204/articles/020410a.htm)? Would [this](http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/animals/newsid_2055000/2055818.stm) count? ---
**Author:** ![I\_am\_Sparticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@I\_am\_Sparticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_am_Sparticus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/13 "2002-11-13T20:52:49Z")
Several years back there was an incident with a young boy falling into a gorilla exhibit at a zoo. It was videotaped. IIRC, a female gorilla very gently moved the unconscious boy to the metal door for the keeper to enter while a large male kept the curious and possibly aggressive younger gorillas at bay during the period the female was busy. Shows two levels of cooperation and a great deal of intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![JAPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@JAPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAPrufrock)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/14 "2002-11-13T21:08:17Z")
I don’t have time to look up the articles, but I seem to remember hearing about numerous cases of dolphins saving drowning humans. But, hey, don’t let the smiling faces fool you…I’ve also read about male dolphins ganging up on a female dolphin so they can rape her. But, don’t let a few bad apples spoil the whole species, right? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/15 "2002-11-13T21:20:28Z")
How about dogs? My dog (male English Springer Spaniel) has many times prevented me from going into strange places…he also attempts to “rescue” me from deep water when we are swimming. Why he does this? I don’t know, but it has to more than just the fact that I feed him! ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-altruism-in-animals/136591/16 "2002-11-13T23:17:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > **…We might simply have a generic “help others” gene or an “empathy” gene which impels us to respond to the needs of our fellows…** I don’t know whether you could pin it down to a single gene, but our brains do contain _mirror neurons_ that encourage us to mimic the behaviour of others in an empathetic fashion. From [this article](http://www.sciencemaster.com/columns/wesson/wesson_part_04.php): _When we watch another human being perform a task or even starting to perform that action, mirror neurons fire at an incredible rate. Thus, mirror neurons faithfully assist in “reading” the intentions of others, and they play a critically important, behind-the-scenes, role in empathy, imitation learning, deciphering facial cues, early language development, social skills and cultural rules by allowing us the ability to predict, mimic and understand the actions of others._ The BBC showed a programme about it an hour ago. It stands to reason that for social animals at least, there is a better chance of species survival (and therefore a better chance of individual survival) if we behave in an empathetic way. The same programme also mentioned **hedra’s** example of regurgitating vampire bats and claimed that they remember which bats returned the favour; those that didn’t being cold-shouldered next time.