The Selfish Gene

Richard Dawkins’s 1976 book presents evolution from the perspective of genes, framing organisms as vehicles through which genes replicate and spread.

Gene-centered view of evolution: An account of evolution that treats changes in gene frequencies as the central evolutionary process. The book’s perspective is a prominent exposition of this approach.
Meiosis: Cell division that produces reproductive cells with half the usual number of chromosomes. It helps explain why genes are shuffled into new combinations across generations.
Richard Dawkins: British evolutionary biologist and author known for popularizing gene-centered explanations of evolution. He wrote and later revised The Selfish Gene.
Group selection: Natural selection acting on differences in survival or reproduction between groups. It contrasts with explanations that locate evolutionary advantage primarily in genes or individuals.
Meme: A unit of cultural information that spreads through imitation, a concept introduced by Dawkins in The Selfish Gene. The book coined this term by analogy with biological replication.
Natural selection: The process by which heritable traits affecting reproductive success become more or less common across generations. Dawkins explains gene replication through differential survival and reproduction.
Genetic recombination: The exchange or rearrangement of DNA that creates new combinations of genetic material. Recombination complicates the idea of genes as independent units of selection.
W. D. Hamilton: British evolutionary biologist whose theories of kin selection and inclusive fitness reshaped evolutionary biology. His work provides a central scientific foundation for Dawkins’s account.
Multilevel selection: A framework in which natural selection can operate at multiple biological levels, including genes, organisms, and groups. It challenges simple claims that selection belongs to a single level.
Sociobiology: The study of the biological foundations of social behavior across animals, including humans. The book helped bring evolutionary explanations of social behavior to a wide audience.

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