Altruistic Animals?

[funkylad20]

Name a single example of an animal that shows true altruistic (selfless, un-rewarding act) from one animal to another?

[Hamish]

Any mother caring for her young.

[funkylad20]

Not actually true, as a mother will nurture her young as a beneficial gain to her species survival. Animals breed purely to continue their genetic line, not because they have a desire to help another. Not a hint of altruistic behaviour present...so, anything else?!?

[Hamish]

The act of nurture is self-less and unrewarding. The Mother does not benifit the species does.

[funkylad20]

Listen, trust me, it's not a case of TRUE ALTRUISM as it is solely done in the animal world for the benefit of the species, thats why nurture is done. It is not counted as a self-less act. I guarantee there is NO truly altruistic act that any wild animal will do, unless you come up with a REALLY good answer?!? Only thing close is a lioness or a North-american scrub jay...

[WaldoMcFroog]

There are several examples of dolphins protecting human animals (and let's not split hairs over whether we count according to your question) against shark attacks etc. I don't think there's a lot that dolphin's can be getting from the arrangement... Additionally, my cat woke my parents up one night, and lead them, Lassie style, to where the dog was having an epilptic fit. Not really much in it for her, seeing as they were in direct competition for attention and first to the food etc!

[shade]

Don't apes and monkeys de-flea each other?

[funkylad20]

they certainly do but they eat the lice and bugs off each others backs, thus it is not TRULY un-rewarding and selfless....

[incitatus]

There are many seabirds living in the Red Sea area that form menages a trois to raise young. Only one pair breeds but the additional bird helps gather food and cool the nest. Noone knows why it does it as it does not have genetic input. Youre right that a mothers nurture is not selfish: passing on genetic info is selfsh in analysis.

[incitatus]

Plus of course the romulus and remus thing. Lots of historical cases of animals caring for human young. Anecdotally at least. More interestingly though is do HUMANS ever show true altruism? In the final analysis all human altruism benefits the herd. Many animal herd structures can be analysed in the same way.

[stoogmeister]

It could be argued that any supposedly altruistic act by a human will make them feel good or better about themself which doesn't make it a selfless act.

[shade]

I found one for you in yesterdays paper... a seal saved a drowning dog from a river by pushing it to the bank with its nose. what could the seal have gained by doing that?

[fishboy101]

what about meerkats? females will often go for days without feeding to babysit the offspring of an unrelated female. an eventual goal may be for the babysitter to get membership to a group of otherwise very closely related individuals but there are signifcant dangers associated with the role of babysitting: starvation as well as predator avoidance not only for herself but also for the pups.

[boywonder?]

Also - back to the mother/baby nurturing thing. By breastfeeding a mother will lower her risk of various cancers etc. so in effect she could gain from the experience - and is also likely to lose pregnancy weight faster!! T!

[funkylad20]

Not including the human population!