How do altruistic behaviors arise through natural selection?
A) By its 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 their survivability has been enhanced by virtue of the altruist's 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.
E) All of the options are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Altruistic behaviors can arise through natural selection if the actions of the altruist increase the likelihood that some of its genes will be passed on to the next generation. For example, if a ground squirrel sounds an alarm call to warn others of a predator, it puts itself at risk but increases the survival chances of other members of its group who share some of its genes. Therefore, the genes for altruistic behavior are more likely to be passed on to future generations, increasing the prevalence of altruistic behavior in the population over time.

How Do Altruistic Behaviors Arise Through Natural Selection