The presence of altruistic behavior is most likely due to kin selection, a theory maintaining that
A) aggression between sexes promotes the survival of the fittest individuals.
B) genes enhance survival of copies of themselves by directing organisms to assist others who share those genes.
C) companionship is advantageous to animals because in the future they can help each other.
D) critical thinking abilities are normal traits for animals and they have arisen, like other traits, through natural selection.
E) natural selection has generally favored the evolution of exaggerated aggressive and submissive behaviors to resolve conflict without grave harm to participants.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Altruistic behavior is believed to have evolved through kin selection, which proposes that genes enhance survival by directing organisms to assist others who share those same genes, thereby increasing the likelihood that copies of these genes will survive and propagate into future generations. This is often seen in animals that form cooperative societies, such as social insects like bees, where the altruistic behavior of some individuals benefits the entire colony, including individuals who are closely related to them.

The Presence of Altruistic Behavior Is Most Likely Due to Kin