Animals are supportive by nature, yes or no?

Almost all of us have seen some of those videos that circulate on social networks and that show moving scenes of animals in an altruistic attitude. A gorilla in a zoo saves a child who fell by accident. A duck shelters a small, very cold dog under its wings. This leads us to a question: animals are caring by nature, yes or no?

Those on the more positivist side of science find the question absurd. They use the famous theory of biological egoism and They are convinced that the competition and individualism are the axes of natural selection. Some less orthodox scientists will say that the issue has not been completely settled and many doubts remain.

The statement that animals are naturally supportive is still very “human” (that humans are also animals). For many it is nothing more than a form of anthropocentrism, that is, of the vision that reduces to man the phenomena that have nothing to do with him. Despite everything, many animals continue to surprise us with their behavior. Scientists do not have a consensus on this issue.

biological selfishness

One of the approaches that addresses this issue is “biological egoism.” According to this perspective, Organisms tend, before showing any type of altruistic behavior, to try to ensure their own well-being. That is, if there is only one ration of food, and other variables being equal, each person would seek to obtain that ration.

In the same sense, the thesis of the selfish gene was proposed, a concept coined by Richard Dawkins. According to this theory genes and not individuals would be the agents of evolution. Organisms are nothing more than means for the evolution of these genes; in Dawkins’ words: “survival machines for genes.”

The selfish gene as such does not refer to the moral concept of selfishness, but to the mechanisms used by genes to ensure its survival and be transmitted to the next generation. A kind of “natural cruelty”. Bees are given as an example: worker females are sterile and work for the queen, who is dedicated to “reigning” because she is fertile.

Animals are supportive by nature, yes or no?

There are scientists, such as Colin Tudge or George Price, who have questioned the ideas about biological selfishness, the selfish gene and the like. They think that altruism and cooperation They are at the base of nature, and that these behaviors alternate with what we could call, from a human point of view, “selfish.”

One of the examples that Price used to affirm that animals are naturally supportive is that of a species of amoeba (Dictyostelium mucoroides). This lives in isolation. However, When there is a shortage of food, these individuals begin to join together, forming a more complex organism.. In that process, some must sacrifice themselves for the others, and they do.

There are also those who think that any altruistic behavior is nothing more than a mask for selfishness.. Amotz Zahavi verified that a bird called the Arabian Babbler, when it finds a worm in the middle of the desert, does not eat it, but saves it until another individual appears to beg it. If this happens, he gladly “gives away” his food and then struts around with the intention of becoming the alpha male of his group.

Cases that are difficult to explain

Alongside all this scientific debate There are also a series of animal behaviors that are far from being explained by biological selfishness or the selfish gene.. The case of the female duck that protects the puppy dog ​​from the cold is one of them. This behavior does not provide any benefit to the protector. It would seem a typical manifestation of altruism.

It is not the only fact that leads us to think that animals are naturally supportive. Biologist Bernd Heinrich observed that a flock of crows found the remains of a reindeer and all the individuals began to make a loud noise, in order to notify their companions of the discovery.

A compilation study found surprising cases among marine specimens. For example, some humpback whales escorted a seal, pursued by several orcas, until it reached the beach. What benefit would they have gotten from this? There are no answers. Perhaps animals are naturally caring, but they are also innately selfish. Both lines of behavior may be present.

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