The key to the evolution of altruism is that
A) recipients have to be more likely to carry the altruistic allele than nonrecipients.
B) actors have to be more likely to carry the altruistic allele than nonactors.
C) recipients have to be unrelated to the actors.
D) nonrecipients have to be more likely to carry the altruistic allele than recipients.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The evolution of altruism requires that recipients, who are benefiting from the altruistic behavior, are more likely to carry the same altruistic allele as the actor rather than non-recipients who are not benefiting from the behavior. This is because the altruistic behavior increases the fitness of the recipients, who carry the same gene, indirectly increasing the chances of spreading the allele in the population.

The Key to the Evolution of Altruism Is That