Question

"In a group of meerkats, a male gives a number of alarm calls that in total save the lives of two sisters as well as three offspring of another sibling. But by giving these alarm calls, the male is exposed to risk of attack from predators and eventually is killed by a hawk. As a result of a shortened life, he does not produce three surviving offspring that he otherwise would have had.

What was the benefit of this male's altruism in units of indirect fitness?"
a. 1 unit of indirect fitness
b. 2 units of indirect fitness
c. 3 units of indirect fitness
d. 0 units of indirect fitness

Answer 1

The benefit of the male meerkat's altruism in units of indirect fitness is 3.

Step-by-step explanation:

The benefit of the male meerkat's altruism can be measured in terms of indirect fitness. Indirect fitness refers to the reproductive success that an individual gains through the reproductive success of their relatives who share genes. In this case, the male meerkat's alarm calls save the lives of two sisters and three offspring of another sibling. By increasing the survival and reproductive success of these relatives, the male meerkat enhances his own inclusive fitness, which can be quantified in units of indirect fitness.

Therefore, the benefit of this male's altruism would be 3 units of indirect fitness (the total number of surviving offspring that he would have had if he hadn't been killed).