Genetic control for sibling recognition?

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The ability to distinguish between kin and non-kin is critical to current theories of altruistic behavior and kin selection. Hamilton predicted that individuals would behave differently towards one another depending on the genetic relatedness between them. When either proximity to or familiarity with kin is a good predictor of relatedness, the mechanism by which favoritism towards kin is accomplished may not require special kin recognition abilities. If proximity and familiarity are poor predictors of kinship, favoritism (hence increases in inclusive fitness) could only be achieved by the differential recognition of kin and non-kin. Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) tadpoles reared with siblings were previously shown to prefer associating with siblings over non-siblings. Totally naive individuals (R. cascadae tadpoles) were shown here to prefer associating with siblings over non-siblings. Because tadpoles were separated before hatching and reared apart from other individuals, results suggest that the ability of these tadpoles to discriminate between siblings and non-siblings has some innate component.