Mechanisms for recognizing kin are found throughout the plant and animal kingdoms, regardless of an organism's social or mental complexity. ββββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββ βββββββββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββββββ ββββ βββββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββββ ββ ββββ βββ
Phenomenon Β·Many plants and animals can recognize "kin" (relatives)
Inclusive fitness hypothesis Β·Organisms transmit genetic material through relatives (not just offspring)
Contrast inclusive fitness with traditional view of evolution. Under traditional view, natural selection favors those with the most offspring. Inclusive fitness suggests natural selection also favors organisms who help their relatives (because this helps spread the organism's own genes).
Example of theory applied to cannibals Β·Spadefood toad tadpoles
Some tadpoles eat their own species. But they nip at other tadpoles before eating, and end up eating only nonsiblings. Suggests they're trying to avoid eating their kin. But, they're more likely to eat kin when they're very hungry.
Example showing other explanation Β·Tiger salamander larva
Some larva are cannibals. The bacteria are more deadly to close relatives, because the relatives have a similar immune system to the infected larva. So, when tiger salamanders avoid eating their close relatives, it could be because they just don't want to die from the bacteria in their relatives. This is about the organism's individual self-interest, not about trying to increase overall genetic representation.
Passage Style
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Single position
14.
The information in the passage ββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββ βββββ ββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββββ
Question Type
Implied
The author calls the fact that most honeybees donβt produce offspring and exist only to nurture relatives βmysterious.β That suggests the correct answer will have something to do with the βmysteriousβ aspect of this behavior.
a
was not known ββ ββ ββββ ββββββ βββ βββββ
Not supported, because weβre not given anything suggesting when we learned about this honeybee behavior. (1960s is mentioned in connection with the development of inclusive fitness theory.)
5%
b
can be explained ββββ ββ ββ ββββββ ββββ βββββ βββββββ βββ ββ ββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββββ
Not supported, because we have no basis to think that an explanation of the honeybee behavior requires reciprocal behavior among the bees that are nurtured. (Maybe most bees take care of the queen bee, and the queen bee doesnβt nurture anyone else.)
3%
c
is what led ββββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββββ
Not supported, because thereβs no evidence that βmostβ biologists have rejected the traditional view of evolution. Although inclusive fitness theory involves a modification of the traditional view of evolution, we donβt know that this requires rejecting the traditional view or that most biologists believe the inclusive fitness theory.
Not supported, because even inclusive fitness theory involves the concept of evolution through natural selection.
14%
e
is difficult to βββββββ βββββββ ββ βββββ βββββββββββββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββββββββββ ββββββββββ
Supported, because the author calls the honeybee behavior βmysterious.β Under traditional evolutionary theory, which holds that individuals that produce the most offspring are most likely to continue their genetic representation, itβs hard to explain why most bees donβt produce offspring. Inclusive fitness theory, however, which is different from traditional evolutionary theory, helps to explain honeybee behavior.
75%
Difficulty
75% of people who answer get this correct
This is a moderately difficult question.
It is somewhat easier than other questions in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%146
154
75%163
Analysis
Implied
Implied
Stems asking us to infer an idea implied by the claims in the passage (as opposed to identifying an idea that appears explicitly). Similar to most strongly supported questions in LR.
Passages that focus on describing or evaluating potential explanations for a given phenomenon. Causal reasoning features prominently in these passages.