Consider the following argument:

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Item 5

Consider the following argument:

Altruistic behavior in groups of related individuals is most likely driven by kin selection since related individuals would share DNA.

Which of the following pieces of evidence would be most likely to weaken this argument?

(1 point)

1. Data showing that only distantly related individuals are most likely to perform altruistic behaviors in order to protect each other
2. Data showing that food gifts are given more commonly among family members than between unrelated individuals in a group
3. Data showing that individuals that share a higher percentage of DNA in a group tend to show the most altruistic behavior between themselves
4. Data showing that the more frequent an allele of a gene occurs in a population, the more likely that population performs altruistic behavi

Answer 1

> Data showing that only distantly related individuals are most likely to perform altruistic behaviors in order to protect each other

only distantly related individuals - makes no sense

1. Data showing that food gifts are given more commonly among family members than between unrelated individuals in a group

More food, higher percentage of survival, makes sense (Rank No.1)

1. Data showing that individuals that share a higher percentage of DNA in a group tend to show the most altruistic behavior between themselves

Depends in which society do you live. Sometimes you share with those with whom your share common values :) I'm kidding a bit, not bad sentence (Rank No.2)

1. Data showing that the more frequent an allele of a gene occurs in a population, the more likely that population performs altruistic behavior

bit strangely defined, "t the more frequent an allele of a gene ", it doesn't necessarily mean "kin", but ok, makes sense (Rank No.3)

Answer 2

The main point in the "argument" is that behavior which appears to be selfless (an individual helping another individual without any benefit to itself) is not actually selfless. The individual performing the behavior is actually helping its own genes to be passed to the next generation because close relatives share many genes and the behavior is helping close relatives to survive and presumably to reproduce successfully. This is essentially the idea of kin selection - some behaviors evolved in which individuals help closely related individuals as a means of indirectly propagating their own genes.

Bullet 2 seems to support this - individuals preferentially help relatives so the behavior is not purely altruistic but in fact is based on relatedness

Same for bullet 3 - sharing DNA means sharing more genes and being more closely related. Helping these individuals is predicted by kin selection

Bullet 4 is just another way of phrasing the same thing. Frequency of an allele means that individuals are sharing genes, so again altruism is a function of relatedness

Which leaves us with point 1 which wouldn't make sense under kin selection theory. The key word here is "only." Under kin selection, it would be expected that individuals preferentially help closely related individuals over distantly related individuals, so if the situation in #1 is true there needs to be another explanation for what's going on.

Good luck on your exam/assignment