"Guy Hoelzer"  wrote in message
>
> I read the quote above in exactly the opposite way.  I think he is
> claiming that the notion of group selection is "rubish," which would
> eliminate the possibility of selection at the species level.  He did not
> mention selection at the gene level, although we know his position
> on that pretty well.
>
You've got to remember that Dawkins is addressing an audience of
non-biologists here. It's a common misconception that, for example,
predators exist to cull weak members of the herd "for the good of the
species", or that animals never kill members of the same species and all
live in harmony.

There are some limited examples where group selection can work, for example
a species of wasp where small colonies are formed, which then fight with
each other. A selfish wasp will reduce the fighting strength of her colony
and thus damage her own fitness.
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