A pied kingfisher in its first year of life helps in the feeding of three full siblings who would not have made it without the helper's efforts. In this first year the bird does not raise any of its own offspring. In the second year of its life the pied kingfisher mates and raises two of its own offspring. After the first two years, what is the inclusive fitness of the pied kingfisher?
A) 0.75
B) 1.50
C) 2.50
D) 3.00

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Inclusive fitness takes into account both an individual's own reproductive success as well as the reproductive success of close relatives. The pied kingfisher helped its siblings survive, which increases their chances of passing on shared genetic material. Therefore, the inclusive fitness of the pied kingfisher after two years is (2 x 2) + 1 = 5. Dividing by the number of siblings helped (3), we get an inclusive fitness of 5/3 = 1.67, which is closest to answer choice C (2.50).

A Pied Kingfisher in Its First Year of Life Helps