I agree with that. It is easier to cooperate with people who are biologically and culturally similar.
That particular gene may be selected for internally among lions even as it reduces lion numbers, sure. We might call this
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different bits of DNA competing against each other within a single organism.
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That's a misleading way to think about it. Remember that "genes competing" is a metaphor.
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Genes compete only in the sense that they are differentially selected, based on what individuals reproduce.
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I have green eyes, which means I have some variants for blue eyes, some for brown. They aren't tearing me apart. They just cause green eyes.
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Those variants have an equal chance of being passed on when I reproduce. They "want" the same thing: for me to reproduce.
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If we take the lion example, what if we have a pride where cub eating has become common next to a pride with no cub eating?
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All else equal, the non-cub eaters will outcompete and may completely displace the cub eaters. (let's assume they don't/can't interbreed).
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So there may be a local competitive advantage to cub eating (or some other trait) but a larger scale competitive disadvantage.
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