MCAT Question A Day - 5/10/13 - Answer!
In certain bluejay species, the siblings of parent birds help incubate their eggs and guard their young after hatching. This is an example of
A. classical natural selection.
B. genetic drift.
C. kin selection.
D. post-zygotic reproductive isolation.
The correct answer is (C). When apparently altruistic behavior is performed to benefit one’s relatives, this is known as kin selection. Since the individuals that benefit from such behavior share genes with the “altruist,” the altruist is actually increasing his/her own “fitness.”
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