That a Belding's ground squirrel will bark a predator alarm to which others respond by scurrying to safety, or that wild turkey males form coalitions to court females when only the dominant one of the group mates, are of interest because these actions
A) appear to benefit other individuals at a cost to the actor.
B) appear to benefit the actor at a cost to other individuals.
C) are actually easily explained by Darwin's earliest theories.
D) seem as though they should spread quickly through the population.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

These actions are examples of altruistic behavior, where the individual performing the action incurs a cost (e.g., increased risk of predation when alerting others to danger, or reduced mating opportunities when assisting a dominant male in courting females) while benefiting others. This is of interest because it poses questions about how such seemingly self-sacrificial behavior can evolve and be maintained in a population, given Darwin's theory of natural selection which emphasizes survival and reproduction of the fittest individuals.

That a Belding's Ground Squirrel Will Bark a Predator Alarm