Erland Gadde  wrote or quoted:
> Tim Tyler  wrote in message
news:...

> > The egoist gene would benefit from its own effects while it was rare -
> > but none of the other nuclear genes would benefit - so they would act
> > to supress the gene causing the egoism.
> 
> For this argument to hold, we must postulate the existence of other
> genes that codes for suppressing the egoist gene. While there could
> possibly be such suppressing genes, it seems risky to count on that
> they will exist. In any case, the overwhelming majority of all genes
> (coding for eye colour, blood type, etc. etc.) will have nothing to do
> with the egoism gene and can't "act to supress" it.

The action of most "outlaw" genes are suppressed by other genes on other 
chromosomes.

It's the common case for the "outlaw" genes to only get expressed when the
suppressing genes malfunction - or to have their expression greatly muffled.

If such supressing genes happen not to exist, there will be selection 
pressures favouring any mutations that produce them - so the outlaws
probably won't have their wicked way for very long.
-- 
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