Evolutionary biologists define altruism as behavior that:
A)decreases the reproductive success of the individual,but benefits the reproductive success of another individual
B)benefits the reproductive success of another individual without having any effect on the fitness of the individual doing the altruism
C)increases the reproductive success of the individual,but decreases the reproductive success of another individual
D)benefits the reproductive success of both the individual doing the altruism and the other individual involved

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Altruism is behavior that benefits another individual at a cost to the individual performing the behavior. In evolutionary biology, altruism is defined specifically as behavior that decreases the reproductive success of the individual performing the behavior, but benefits the reproductive success of another individual. This is because from an evolutionary perspective, natural selection favors individuals that produce more offspring, and any behavior that reduces an individual's chances of producing offspring would generally be expected to be selected against unless it somehow benefits close relatives who share some of the same genes.

Evolutionary Biologists Define Altruism as Behavior That