A model is developed describing the operation of selection upon broods of full sibs. Fitness is regarded as a function of individual genotype, the genetic composition of the brood of which the individual is a member, and/or the genotypes of the individual's parents. The model is formulated such that the fundamental equations describing brood selection at a single locus in a randomly-mating population are identical to the equations arising from a frequency-dependent model in population genetics. Hence, the mathematical analysis of brood selection is equivalent to that of frequency-dependent selection. In particular, brood selection results in multiple equilibria that in general do not maximize average fitness. Several specific examples are discussed, including social selection against a genetic disease, reproductive compensation, the evolution of aposematic coloration, and the evolution of altruistic or selfish brood behavior.
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Alan R. Templeton (1979) studied this question.
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