Final answer:
Belding's ground squirrels' trilling is an act of altruism, particularly kin selection, where they risk themselves to warn relatives of danger, thereby promoting the survival of their shared genes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, Belding's ground squirrels trilling can be a possible example of altruism, specifically kin selection.
Altruism in the animal kingdom often refers to behaviors where one individual's actions benefit another, at a potential cost to itself. Trilling in Belding's ground squirrels is considered an altruistic act because it serves as a warning call to alert others of a predator's presence. This alarm call increases the likelihood of survival for other squirrels in the vicinity, often relatives of the caller, but also increases the caller's own risk of predation.
The behavior aligns with the concept of kin selection, which is an evolutionary strategy that favors the reproductive success of an organism's relatives, even at a cost to the organism's own survival and reproduction. By ensuring relatives survive to reproduce, the altruistic individual indirectly passes on shared genes. While this may seem like a selfless act, it can be understood as a gene's way to ensure its propagation through related individuals. Thus, in the context of kin selection, the altruistic behavior of Belding's ground squirrels supports the continuation of its genetic lineage.