Replacing causal-mechanistic coefficients with purely statistical ones risks rendering kin selection explanations descriptively adequate but causally uninformative, as Sober and Steel argue regarding correlation-based models.
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Kin selection(as used in evolutionary biology and cooperation theory)
The idea that animals are more likely to help relatives because they share genes, so helping family members survive can pass those genes on even if you don't have kids yourself.
Sober and Steel(philosophers cited as authorities on this debate)
Elliott Sober and Michael Steel are philosophers of science who have written about the limitations of statistical explanations in evolutionary biology.
Statistical coefficients(presented as a replacement for causal-mechanistic approaches)
Mathematical measurements that show whether two things tend to occur together or correlate, without necessarily explaining the underlying reason why.