It Is Rather Easy to Understand Why Relatives Help Each

question 20

Multiple Choice

It is rather easy to understand why relatives help each other in the animal kingdom-they share some of the same genes, and some self- sacrificing behaviour will help the greater sum of their genes. What would be a reason for self- sacrificing behaviour to have evolved in animals that are unrelated?

• A) This behaviour might elicit a benefit at some future point in time.
• B) This behaviour might have aided groups of unrelated animals.
• C) This behaviour might have arisen due to genetic drift.
• D) Answers A and B both apply.
• E) Answers A and C both apply.

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Definitions:

Dominant Allele

A dominant allele is a variation of a gene that will express its trait over another variant, known as the recessive allele, when present in a pair.

Recessive Allele

A variant of a gene that must be inherited from both parents to be expressed in the offspring, in contrast to a dominant allele.

Carriers

Individuals who possess one copy of a mutated gene for a recessive genetic condition but do not exhibit symptoms of the condition themselves, though they can pass the gene to offspring.

Dominant Gene

A gene that is expressed in the phenotype even when only one copy is present in the genotype.