Imagine a primate species where a female caregiver often helps raise another female's offspring in a way that reduces her fitness by 10% and increases the fitness of the recipient by 25%. According to Hamilton's rule, in which of the following scenarios could this behavior evolve?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hamilton's rule states that altruistic behavior can evolve if the genetic relatedness between the actor and the recipient, multiplied by the benefit to the recipient, is greater than the cost to the actor. In this case, the genetic relatedness would be highest among full siblings, making it more likely for the behavior to evolve. Additionally, the high benefit-to-cost ratio (25%/10%) makes it more likely for the behavior to evolve.

Imagine a Primate Species Where a Female Caregiver Often Helps