Which of the Following Statements Correctly Describes the Coefficient of Relatedness

Question

Which of the following statements correctly describes the coefficient of relatedness (r)?
A) It measures the maximum degree of relatedness between the actor and the recipients.
B) It measures the average degree of relatedness between the actor and the recipients.
C) It indicates the probability that two randomly chosen individuals share the same genetic trait.
D) It is a measure of likelihood that two individuals are members of the same species.

Accepted Answer

The coefficient of relatedness (r) quantifies the average proportion of genes shared by common descent between two individuals. It is used to predict the genetic similarity between the actor (the individual performing an action) and the recipients (those affected by the action), rather than the maximum degree, the probability of sharing any random genetic trait, or membership in the same species.