Question 1

According to Hamilton, ultimately costs and benefits are measured in terms of:

Accepted Answer

Inclusive fitness is the concept Hamilton proposed to explain how costs and benefits are ultimately measured in evolutionary terms, incorporating both direct fitness (from an individual's own offspring) and indirect fitness (from helping relatives raise additional offspring they wouldn't have been able to without help).

Question 2

If a pregnancy is to progress, then high levels of _________are required:

Accepted Answer

Progesterone is required for a healthy pregnancy as it helps to maintain the endometrium and support the growth and development of the embryo/fetus. It is produced by the corpus luteum and later by the placenta. High levels of progesterone are necessary for the pregnancy to progress successfully. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and human placental lactogen (HPL) are also important hormones in pregnancy, but they alone cannot sustain the pregnancy without adequate progesterone levels.

Question 3

The battle over blood sugar between mother and foetus involves the hormone:

Accepted Answer

Human placental lactogen is the hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy, which increases blood sugar levels in the mother to provide the necessary nutrients for the foetus. This hormone also reduces the sensitivity of the mother's cells to insulin, thus preserving blood sugar levels for the foetus.

Question 4

__selected species are adapted to stable environments and tend to live longer whereas, __selected species are found where, due to unpredictable conditions, it may pay a parent to produce large numbers of offspring which develop very rapidly:

Accepted Answer

K-selected species are adapted to stable environments and tend to live longer, focusing on producing fewer offspring with more care. In contrast, r-selected species thrive in unpredictable conditions, producing large numbers of offspring that develop rapidly to ensure some survive in the changing environment.

Question 5

The term kin selection was first used by:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The term kin selection was first used...

Question 6

Conflictual encounters between mother and teenage daughter in rural Trinidad is highest when:

Accepted Answer

Conflictual encounters between mother and teenage daughter in rural Trinidad are highest when both are of reproductive age, likely due to competition or differing views and priorities related to reproductive and social roles.

Question 7

Modern-day evolutionists consider the genes which are passed on to the next generation via an individual's own offspring as their __________and those which are passed on via aid to other kin as their _________.

Accepted Answer

Modern-day evolutionists consider the genes which are passed on to the next generation via an individual's own offspring as their direct fitness and those which are passed on via aid to other kin as their indirect fitness. Choice D provides the correct labels for these concepts.

Question 8

When a relative is recognised due to location this is based on:

Accepted Answer

Context-based discrimination refers to the ability of an individual to recognize a relative based on their presence in a particular location, such as within the same social group or family unit. This form of recognition does not rely on genetic similarity, but rather on environmental cues and familiarity. Phenotype matching, major histocompatibility complexes, and recognition genes are all mechanisms of recognition that rely on genetic similarity rather than contextual cues.

Question 9

There is evidence that growth of the embryo and placenta are under control of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of There is evidence that growth of the...

Question 10

Social psychology has developed a series of mini-theories but lacks an overarching metatheory according to:

Accepted Answer

Simpson and Kenrick's article "Evolutionary Social Psychology" argues that social psychology lacks an overarching metatheory that can integrate and explain the many mini-theories that have been developed within the field.

Question 11

The coefficient of relatedness between grandparents and grandchildren is:

Accepted Answer

The coefficient of relatedness between grandparents and grandchildren is 0.25 because each grandparent shares 0.5 of their genes with their child (the parent of the grandchild), and the parent passes on 0.5 of their genes to the grandchild, resulting in a total shared genetic material of 0.5 x 0.5 = 0.25.

Question 12

Genes involved in the production of the molecules on the surface of body cells are known as:

Accepted Answer

The genes involved in the production of surface molecules on body cells are known as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. These molecules play a crucial role in identifying self from non-self and are important in immune system function.

Question 13

The 1976 book 'The Use and Abuse of Biology' which was critical of kin selection theory was written by:

Accepted Answer

The book 'The Use and Abuse of Biology' which criticized kin selection theory was written by Marshall Sahlins in 1976.

Question 14

The 'Cinderella effect' where step-parents are considered to provide less than biological parents to children was proposed by:

Accepted Answer

The 'Cinderella effect' was proposed by Daly and Wilson in their book "Homicide" published in 1988. They suggested that step-parents are not as invested in the care of their stepchildren as biological parents and are more likely to be abusive towards them.

Question 15

In the chapter it was suggested that tantrums have been observed in a wide variety of infant animals as an attempt to increase maternal investment including:

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the chapter it was suggested that...

Question 16

Naked mole rats are highly in breed having an 'r' of:

Accepted Answer

Naked mole rats have a high inbreeding coefficient, with an 'r' value of 0.81, indicating a high level of genetic relatedness within their colonies.

Question 17

Siblings may share __ per cent of their genes with each other and with other members of their species. They will, however, share only __ per cent on average from their common parentage:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Siblings may share __ per cent of...

Question 18

'Hamilton's rule' and can be reduced to this simple formula of:

Accepted Answer

Hamilton's rule is summarized by the formula c < rb, where c is the cost to the altruist, b is the benefit to the recipient, and r is the coefficient of relatedness. This rule suggests that an altruistic act is likely to occur when the benefit to the recipient, weighted by their relatedness to the altruist, exceeds the cost to the altruist.

Question 19

Soldier (and worker) castes are sterile and are more closely related to their sisters (r = ___) than they would be to offspring (r = ___) they produced themselves

Accepted Answer

In eusocial insects like ants and bees, the haplodiploidy system of sex determination leads to sisters sharing on average 75% of their genes due to the way haploid males and diploid females are produced. This is higher than the 50% genetic sharing that would occur between a parent and its offspring, making choice A correct.

Question 20

Which evolutionist is believed to have suggested he would risk his life for at least an identical twin or eight cousins:

Accepted Answer

J.B.S. Haldane is believed to have said, "I would willingly lay down my life for two brothers or eight cousins," highlighting the concept of kin selection in evolutionary biology.

Quiz 7: The Evolutionary Psychology of Social Behaviour Kin Relationships and Conflict