Final answer:
Kin selection is a type of natural selection that operates when individuals help their close relatives survive and reproduce. Evidence for kin selection comes from the behavior of social insects and studies of cooperation in animals. Kin selection is different from selection at the level of individuals and group selection.
Step-by-step explanation:
Kin selection is a type of natural selection that operates when individuals help their close relatives survive and reproduce, which in turn increases the chances of their shared genes being passed on to future generations. One piece of evidence for kin selection is the behavior of social insects like ants and bees. For example, worker bees sacrifice their own reproduction to help their queen, who is usually their mother, to produce more offspring. Another piece of evidence comes from studies of cooperation in animals, such as birds that help defend their siblings' nests.
It is important to distinguish kin selection from selection at the level of individuals because kin selection takes into account the relatedness between individuals, while individual selection focuses on the fitness of each individual regardless of their relatedness to others.
To distinguish kin selection from group selection, it is important to consider the level at which selection is acting. In kin selection, selection acts at the level of genes, favoring traits that increase the reproductive success of close relatives. In contrast, group selection occurs when traits that benefit the group as a whole are favored, even at the expense of the individuals within the group.