Final answer:
All four kinds of behavior - cooperative, altruistic, selfish, and spiteful - can potentially be favored or disfavored under certain circumstances based on natural selection.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the theory of natural selection, all four kinds of behavior—cooperative, altruistic, selfish, and spiteful—can potentially be favored or disfavored under certain circumstances.
Cooperative behavior can be favored if it increases the overall fitness of a group or population. For example, in a group of meerkats, individuals may take turns acting as sentries to warn the group of potential threats.
Altruistic behavior, which benefits others at a cost to oneself, can also be favored if it benefits close relatives who share genes. This is known as kin selection. For example, worker bees sacrifice their ability to reproduce to help the queen bee pass on her genes.
Selfish behavior, where an individual prioritizes their own benefit, can be favored if it increases their own fitness and reproductive success. For example, a male peacock with elaborate feathers may attract more mates and have a better chance of passing on his genes.
Spiteful behavior, which harms others even at a cost to oneself, is less common in nature. However, it can still occur if it indirectly benefits the individual's own fitness, such as in territorial disputes or competition for resources.