Question

Suppose that an allele is present in pelican offspring that causes a nestling to share its food with its nestmate if it is not particularly hungry. This gene imposes a fitness cost of 0.2 on those who carry it, while conferring a benefit of 0.5 on the sibling who receives the additional food. Will this gene increase in frequency if two nestmates are always full siblings?

Answer 1

Answer:

Here are the options to the question to make it a complete question

a. No, because rb - c > 0

b. Yes, because rb - c > 0

c. Yes, because rb - c < 0

d. No, because rb - c < 0

The ANSWER IS b.

b. Yes, because rb - c > 0

Explanation:

If Relatedness(r) * Benefit(b)

> Cost(c), an allele will increase. (Hamilton's Rule)

Given:

Cost: 0.2

Benefit: 0.5

Full Sibling Relatedness = 0. 5

0.5 * 0.5 = 0.25.

0.25 > 0.2, should increase.

Hamilton's Rule states that:

Natural selection will favor individuals that help their kin when relatedness(r)is high, benefit(r) to the recipient is also high, and cost (c) to the actor is low,