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The genetic relatedness (r) of an individual to his nephew is 0.25. The alleles that cause uncles to care for nephews will spread, according to Hamilton's Rule, only if the fitness benefit is 
  • a)
    equal to the cost of care
  • b)
    more than the cost of care by 25%
  • c)
    double the cost of care
  • d)
    four times the cost of care
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
The genetic relatedness (r) of an individual to his nephew is 0.25. Th...
Concept:
  • Hamilton's rule is a central theorem of inclusive fitness (kin selection) theory and predicts that social behavior evolves under specific combinations of relatedness, benefit, and cost.
Studies parametrizing Hamilton's rule are not rare and demonstrate quantitatively that
  1.  altruism (net loss of direct fitness) occurs even when sociality is facultative,
  2.  in most cases, altruism is under positive selection via indirect fitness benefits that exceed direct fitness costs and
  3.  social behavior commonly generates indirect benefits by enhancing the productivity or survivorship of kin.
Explanation:
  • A simple but powerful formalization of inclusive fitness theory is provided by Hamilton's rule.
  •  This states that a gene for any social action will undergo selection when the sum of indirect fitness (rb) and direct fitness (c) exceeds zero, where r is the relatedness of the social actor and recipient and c and b are the changes brought about by the social action in the offspring numbers of, respectively, the actor and the recipient.
  • From Hamilton's rule follow the well-known conditions for the four possible types of social action as defined by the signs of c and b, namely cooperation or mutual benefit (+, +), altruism (−, +), selfishness (+, −) and spite (−, −).
  •  Specifically, in its most celebrated application, Hamilton's rule states that altruism (net loss of direct fitness) is selected if rb – c > 0. By identifying this condition, inclusive fitness theory solved the problem of altruism.
  • Because of its grounding in fundamental theory, its incorporation of the four types of social action, and its universal taxonomic scope, the theory provides the best current basis for a unified understanding of social evolution.
  • For example, it enables conflict within family groups and intragenomic conflict to be understood in the same terms.
- Inclusive fitness = direct fitness + indirect fitness    
- Altruism is favored when rB > C or rB-C > 0,
where r= relatedness; B= benefit to recipient, C= cost to the altruist 
here in the question we need to calculate the value of B where r is 0.25,
putting these values in the equation above we have,
0.25 X B > C, This implies that   1/4 X B > C OR B > 4 C, thus when 
 fitness benefit is four times the cost of care  the alleles that cause uncles to care for nephews will spread
Hence the correct answer is option 4
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Most Upvoted Answer
The genetic relatedness (r) of an individual to his nephew is 0.25. Th...
Understanding Hamilton's Rule
Hamilton's Rule states that altruistic behavior can evolve when the benefits of the behavior, discounted by genetic relatedness, exceed the costs. The formula can be expressed as:
b * r > c
Where:
- b = fitness benefit to the recipient
- r = genetic relatedness
- c = cost to the altruist
Genetic Relatedness to Nephews
For an uncle caring for his nephew:
- The genetic relatedness (r) is 0.25 (or 25%).
- This means that an uncle shares 25% of his genes with his nephew.
Evaluating the Options
To determine the necessary fitness benefit for the alleles to spread, we rearrange Hamilton's Rule:
b > c / r
Substituting the known values:
- r = 0.25
- Therefore, b > c / 0.25
- This simplifies to b > 4c.
Conclusion: Why Option D is Correct
The fitness benefit (b) must be four times the cost of care (c) for the behavior to be favored by natural selection. Therefore, the correct answer is:
- D) four times the cost of care
This means that for the uncle's care for his nephew to spread in the population, the benefit received by the nephew must be significantly higher (four times) than the cost incurred by the uncle. This ensures that the altruistic behavior is evolutionarily stable.
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The genetic relatedness (r) of an individual to his nephew is 0.25. The alleles that cause uncles to care for nephews will spread, according to Hamilton's Rule, only if the fitness benefit isa)equal to the cost of careb)more than the cost of care by 25%c)double the cost of cared)four times the cost of careCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
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The genetic relatedness (r) of an individual to his nephew is 0.25. The alleles that cause uncles to care for nephews will spread, according to Hamilton's Rule, only if the fitness benefit isa)equal to the cost of careb)more than the cost of care by 25%c)double the cost of cared)four times the cost of careCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? for Software Development 2025 is part of Software Development preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Software Development exam syllabus. Information about The genetic relatedness (r) of an individual to his nephew is 0.25. The alleles that cause uncles to care for nephews will spread, according to Hamilton's Rule, only if the fitness benefit isa)equal to the cost of careb)more than the cost of care by 25%c)double the cost of cared)four times the cost of careCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for Software Development 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for The genetic relatedness (r) of an individual to his nephew is 0.25. The alleles that cause uncles to care for nephews will spread, according to Hamilton's Rule, only if the fitness benefit isa)equal to the cost of careb)more than the cost of care by 25%c)double the cost of cared)four times the cost of careCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?.
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