Teamwork!

Teamwork!

Not really.

Individual self interest really.

It is clear that individual organisms need others, but is it just to individually survive and be able to pass on their genes or do they really care about the others?

As depressing as this might sound, organisms use other organisms form the same species to be able to survive longer. For example animals that live in herds, they do not really care about the companion of each other because they are best friends. No. What is really going on is that they are stuck with the others so they can live longer. They are actually just worried about their self-benefit but in order to benefit they must give in a little too. However, when it comes to danger and when these animals know that one of the herd will possibly die, they have to options: send the alarm call or apply Zahavi’s theory.
Zahavi’s theory states that for example in gazelles, the signal or alarm call is intended to the predators. When danger and death are inevitable they will do anything, even put in risk their herd members life, so they will survive. No matter how selfish it might be.
So, when you see animals working together they are not actually working together. They are just using each other for their individual gain.

Sad huh? Not really. You do the exact same thing.

Two things I can say about this, first, humans are not the only selfish species, second, it is in our genes to be selfish. The most selfish organism is the one who will survive and we all want to survive really, so we have too. We have no other option, and neither the animals that constantly have to face their predators. For example, when Dawkins sets the case of the birds and the parasite. Bird A helps Bird B take the tick off, but when Bird A goes to Bird B for help Bird B just slacks off. Who gains the most from this? Bird B obviously. Bird B won the benefits without paying the costs.

Even when species have to do symbiosis, so they can live longer.  They have to partner up with another species both contribute in some way to become the fittest and survive longer. Even when this may sound like working together and teamwork it really isn’t. They are doing what ever they can to survive even when they have to collaborate with another one it just on their best individual interest.