How do altruistic behaviors arise through natural selection?
A) By his or her actions, the altruist increases the likelihood that some of its genes will be passed on to the next generation.
B) The altruist is appreciated by other members of the population because its survivability has been enhanced by virtue of its risky behavior.
C) Animals that perform altruistic acts are allowed by their population to breed more, thereby passing on their behavior genes to future generations.
D) Altruistic behaviors lower stress in populations, which increases the survivability of all the members of the population.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Altruistic behaviors can arise through natural selection if, by performing those behaviors, an individual increases the likelihood that some of its genes will be passed on to the next generation. This can happen, for example, if the individual helps close relatives to survive and reproduce, since relatives share many of the same genes. In this way, even if the individual itself does not reproduce, it can still help to pass on some of its genes to the next generation. This is known as kin selection.

How Do Altruistic Behaviors Arise Through Natural Selection