Behavioral ecologist sheds light on altruism during the Stanley Stone Distringuished Lecture Series
The annual Stanley Stone Distinguished Lecture Series took place last week, drawing in a crowd of current BU students, faculty, local alumni, and members from the public for an engaging conversation around altruism. The lecture, titled “The Evolution of Goodness,” was presented by Dr. Lee Dugatkin, a behavioral ecologist, evolutionary biologist and historian of science. Dugatkin provided an evolutionary perspective as to why both humans and other species are altruistic, or as Dugatkin explained, “exhibit goodness.”
Looking at specific behaviors from a variety of species- ranging from bees to humans- Dr. Dugatkin summarized the current understanding of altruistic behavior. He shared questions explored by some of the best-known contributors in the field, such as Charles Darwin and William Hamilton; and let the audience know what the answers turned out to be. For example, Darwin was puzzled by why bees sacrifice themselves in defense of the hive. As it turns out, this behavior can be attributed to genetic relatedness (also known as kin selection). Dugatkin illustrated other models of goodness, including empathy in rats, a sense of injustice in monkeys, and kind gestures exhibited by toddlers. The audience found these powerful and illustrative examples, and others, to be both informative and engaging. Rather than humans evolving to be selfish, perhaps as a species we have involved instead to be altruistic.
The Stanley Stone Distinguished Lecture Series has been running since 1989, bringing an outside guest speaker to campus each year. Lecture topics vary from year-to-year, but always align with one of the four academic divisions at CGS: natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and rhetoric. Made possible by CGS alumni Stanley Stone, the Series seeks to bring top experts in the field to campus, enriching the student learning experience and providing perspective on a subject that might not yet be in textbooks. Next year is the 25th anniversary, and we hope to see you there!