Hamilton's Rule States That

Question

Hamilton's rule states that
A) altruism evolves only among nonkin.
B) selfish genes swamp altruistic genes.
C) altruistic behavior is favored if the cost to the actor is less than the benefit to the recipient, devalued by the degree of relatedness.
D) altruistic behavior is favored if the benefits to the actor are greater than the costs to the recipients, devalued by their degree of relatedness.

Accepted Answer

Hamilton's rule states that altruistic behavior is favored if the cost to the actor is less than the benefit to the recipient, devalued by the degree of relatedness. This means that individuals are more likely to help those who are closely related to them, as the benefits of helping outweigh the costs. This idea is based on the concept of inclusive fitness, which takes into account the individual's own reproductive success as well as that of related individuals.