Darwinian puzzle

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A Darwinian puzzle is a trait that appears to reduce the fitness of individuals that possess it. Such traits attract the attention of evolutionary biologists. The phrase "Darwinian puzzle" itself is rare and of unclear origin; it appears most often, but not always, in the context of animal behavior.

[edit] Examples

The following phenomena are sometimes called Darwinian puzzles:

• Altruism in animals
• Homosexuality in animals
• Cellular senescence