Maladaptation within the body

Abstract

Abstract The chapter discusses some of the most persuasive examples of maladaptation from selfish genetic elements, arguing against the ‘parliament of the genes’ to suggest that they have a large impact on organism design. Selfish genetic elements are introduced through examples of meiotic drivers, emphasising their evolutionary longevity and harmfulness to individual fitness. The conclusions of the only book-length review of selfish genetic elements (Genes in Conflict, Burt and Trivers 2006) are critiqued. The widely held view that, in the long run, evolution by natural selection acts ‘for the good of the genome’ (which relies upon the theory of the parliament of the genes) is criticised. An alternative theory of the ‘society of genes’ is developed, arguing that cooperation in the genome does not have to be egalitarian to be successful. Whilst some challenges in detecting and quantifying the costs of selfish genetic elements are identified, the evidence for the society of genes is appraised. Against the parliament of the genes, it is argued that its logic mistakenly assumes that the suppressors of selfish genetic elements are more powerful than they are in reality.