Helpful animals

[Helpful animals by Robert Doolan]  "You wouldn’t think it would pay to be a meerkat. These mongoose-like animals from the dry regions of southern Africa will postpone meals to help with the baby-sitting, and will stay home so their family and friends can go out to supper.

Helpful animals? Whatever happened to the evolutionary idea of ‘survival of the fittest’?

And what about the helpful ‘watchman’ bird that lets out a loud squawk when it sees a hawk approaching? All the neighboring flocks know to fly off quickly, which confuses the advancing predator. Yet the vigilant alarm-caller puts itself in extreme danger by its conspicuousness. Its give-away squawk may make it an instant target for attack, while those who heed its alarm get away and survive.

Helpful birds? That seems contrary to ‘survival of the fittest’ too.

The animal kingdom abounds with examples of helpful animals (‘animal altruism’ it’s called). Whales may support a sick member of their pod, or refuse to leave a wounded or distressed member. Monkeys will pick through the fur of other monkeys to clean off fleas and other parasites. A honeybee may sting you if you go near its hive, thereby ending its life in an attempt to protect the colony. Wolves and wild dogs bring back food to members of the pack who have taken no part in the hunt.

In controlled experiments, researchers found that when rats and monkeys learned to press a lever to obtain food, the animals would slow their rate of pressing the lever if the lever also sent an electric shock to a nearby rat or monkey.

Can evolution explain this caring behaviour? After all, evolutionary theory states that ‘those who do not struggle to survive and reproduce will be wiped out in the ruthless competition known as natural selection’..."  full text:  Helpful animals, Doolan. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v17/n3/animals

Helpful animals