Meerkats are small desert mammals that live in groups of 20-50 individuals. You observe one meerkat standing upright on a stump, looking around, while other meerkats forage for food. You hypothesize that this is an example of kin selection. What additional information would you need to know to evaluate your hypothesis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To evaluate the hypothesis of kin selection, we would need to know the degree of genetic relatedness of the observing meerkat to all other members of the group. Kin selection posits that animals are more likely to exhibit cooperative behaviors towards their genetic relatives as it increases the chances of passing on shared genes. Therefore, if the observing meerkat is closely related to the foraging meerkats, this behavior would support the hypothesis of kin selection. The other options are not directly related to the hypothesis of kin selection.

Meerkats Are Small Desert Mammals That Live in Groups of 20-50