Natural selection is the process by which evolution happens. Evolution occurs when entities compete for finite resources in an environment. The entities that succeed in getting the resources are the ones that are the “fittest” (or most effective at competing) in that environment, and the ones which are then able to reproduce. Charles Darwin considers natural selection to be process of “survival of the fittest.” Although many theorists assume that natural selection is a process that happens to species of organisms, Richard Dawkins thinks that natural selection actually happens to genes. Later in his argument, Dawkins extends the scope of natural selection to argue that it also explains how ideas (or memes) are perpetuated in a cultural environment.
Natural Selection Quotes in The Selfish Gene
The The Selfish Gene quotes below are all either spoken by Natural Selection or refer to Natural Selection. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
I shall argue that the fundamental unit of selection, and therefore of self-interest, is not the species, nor the group, nor even, strictly, the individual. It is the gene, the unit of heredity.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3
Quotes
It is as though, in every room of a gigantic building, there was a book-case containing the architect’s plans for the entire building. […] Incidentally, there is of course no ‘architect.’ The DNA instructions are assembled by natural selection.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Selfish Gene LitChart as a printable PDF.
Natural Selection Term Timeline in The Selfish Gene
The timeline below shows where the term Natural Selection appears in The Selfish Gene. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: The Replicators
...apart again, but stable molecules stayed connected. Dawkins thinks this was the earliest form of natural selection. Everything that exists today is made of stable molecules, from soap bubbles to the human...
(full context)
...then have slightly different replicators competing for free atoms. This sets up the conditions for natural selection. Does this mean that the replicators were alive? Dawkins says that this is unclear, but...
(full context)
Chapter 3: Immortal Coils
...“architect” in the case of DNA. The DNA instructions wound up that way because of natural selection.
(full context)
Dawkins now explains how natural selection comes into the picture. Remember that genes are all copies of each other. Sometimes, there’ll...
(full context)
Dawkins thinks that, because this is how natural selection works, the “thing” that is evolving must exist in lots of copies that can stay...
(full context)
...always “selfish,” because genes that act in ways that preserve their existence win out in natural selection.
(full context)
Chapter 6: Genesmanship
Dawkins returns to the issue of parent/child versus sibling relationships. He thinks that natural selection will favor a degree of altruism that is proportional to the “best estimate of relatedness”...
(full context)
Chapter 7: Family Planning
Put another way, natural selection adjusts the initial clutch size according to available resources in the environment. Individuals who are...
(full context)
Chapter 9: Battle of the Sexes
...stage, the female contributes more. Dawkins says that “female exploitation begins here.” It’s likely that natural selection favored large female sex cells, since more nourishment gives the embryo a good start. If...
(full context)
Chapter 13: The Long Reach of the Gene
...The phenotypic effect of one gene might be “green eyes,” or “curly hair,” for example. Natural selection favors genes on the basis of their phenotypic effects. Darwinians often think of the phenotypic...
(full context)
...“mobile homes” out of tiny stones and sticks that they protect themselves with like shells. Natural selection favors caddis larvae that build the best protective homes, since this facilitates their survival and...
(full context)
Epilogue to 40th Anniversary Edition
It makes sense that natural selection favors genes that “flourish in the company of other genes in the population.” Genes are...
(full context)
