[Campbell Biology P.1207] According to Hamilton's Rule, which of the following conditions mus... | Practice Question

According to Hamilton's Rule, which of the following conditions must be met for an altruistic act to be favored by natural selection?

  • A: rB < C
  • B: rB = C
  • C: rB > C
  • D: B < C
  • E: r > C

Explanation

Hamilton's rule states that natural selection favors altruism when the benefit to the recipient multiplied by the coefficient of relatedness rB exceeds the cost to the altruist C . This means rB > C.