Final answer:
Spiteful behavior is the action that is costly to both the actor and the recipient. Unlike altruistic behavior, which lowers the actor's fitness for the benefit of another, spiteful behavior harms both parties involved without direct benefits to the actor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The behavior that is costly to both the actor and the recipient is known as spiteful behavior. This type of behavior can be observed in various animal species and differs significantly from selfish, cooperative, and altruistic behaviors. Selfish behavior benefits the actor at the expense of the recipient, while cooperative behavior is beneficial to both parties. Altruistic behavior, on the other hand, benefits the recipient at a cost to the actor, increasing the recipient’s fitness while potentially decreasing the actor’s. Instances of altruistic behavior are widely observed across the animal kingdom. For example, worker bees that are unable to reproduce may help maintain the queen bee, who can populate the hive with her offspring. Similarly, meerkats may take on the risky role of a sentry to protect their colony. Although these actions seem to lower the immediate fitness of the individual for the benefit of others, such behaviors may still indirectly support the actor's genetic representation in the population, especially if the recipients are close relatives. In evolutionary terms, these costly behaviors, including spiteful ones, are intriguing and complex, with various underlying motivations that may include kin selection, reciprocal altruism, and direct fitness benefits. However, spiteful behavior is relatively rare, as it provides no direct benefit to the actor, and its evolutionary advantage is more difficult to discern.