Current evolutionary theory would suggest that self-sacrifice to protect one's offspring is adaptive because it maximizes
A) parental investment
B) genetic drift
C) genetic flow
D) inclusive fitness

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Self-sacrifice to protect one's offspring is adaptive because it increases one's inclusive fitness, which takes into account not only an individual's own reproductive success, but also the reproductive success of their relatives who share genes. By sacrificing oneself to protect one's offspring, an individual is increasing the chances that their genes will be passed on to future generations through their offspring. This is why self-sacrifice to protect one's offspring is observed across a wide range of animal species, including humans. Parental investment (A) refers to any investment made by a parent in an individual offspring that increases the offspring's chances of survival and reproductive success at the cost of the parent's ability to invest in other offspring. Genetic drift (B) refers to random fluctuations in the frequency of alleles in a population over time. Genetic flow (C) refers to the movement of genes from one population to another through migration or interbreeding. While both genetic drift and genetic flow can affect the genetic makeup of a population, neither of these processes is directly related to the adaptive value of self-sacrifice to protect one's offspring.

Current Evolutionary Theory Would Suggest That Self-Sacrifice to Protect One's