An evolutionary hypothesis of suicide: why it could be biologically adaptive and is so prevalent in certain occupations.

Abstract excerpt

From an evolutionary perspective, suicide is a puzzle, because it has serious adverse effects, yet is remarkably common and heritable. An hypothesis is proposed to explain this puzzle, by explaining how suicide could be adaptive through reducing risk that individuals will transmit infections to kin. Empirical evidence supports four predictions from the hypothesis. There are well-established mechanisms by which...

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