The Selfish Gene: 40th Anniversary edition (Oxford Landmark Science) — Battle of the generations

1. 1. Trivers's theory of parent-offspring conflict has been confirmed by detailed mathematical and genetic models.
2. 2. Alexander originally argued that parental victory in parent-offspring conflict follows inevitably from Darwinian assumptions, but later conceded he was wrong.
3. 3. Eric Charnov's argument about social insects provides a new basis for parental advantage: only parents see a conflict, while offspring are genetically indifferent.
4. 4. The parent-offspring conflict is likened to a race where one runner is paid only if he wins, while the other is paid regardless, but Darwinian costs make the analogy even stronger.
5. 5. Under monogamy and equal relatedness, an old mother can expect to manipulate her young adult daughter into staying and helping, because the daughter is genetically indifferent.