Which concept combines an organism's own reproductive success with the fitness of close kin?

Which concept combines an organism's own reproductive success with the fitness of close kin?

• A. Inclusive fitness
• B. Kin selection
• C. Group selection
• D. Null hypothesis

Answer: (A)

Inclusive fitness is the idea that an organism’s genetic success comes from its own reproductive output plus the effect of its actions on the reproductive success of relatives who share genes with it. Because close kin carry similar genes, helping them can spread shared genetic material even at a personal cost. This is often summarized by Hamilton’s idea that an altruistic behavior will evolve when the benefit to relatives, weighted by relatedness, exceeds the cost to the actor (rb > c). Kin selection is the mechanism that explains how inclusive fitness changes can promote such altruism. Group selection discusses evolution at the level of groups rather than gene-centered relationships, and a null hypothesis is a statistical term unrelated to how fitness is transmitted. So the concept that blends direct reproduction with the fitness of close kin is inclusive fitness.

Inclusive fitness is the idea that an organism’s genetic success comes from its own reproductive output plus the effect of its actions on the reproductive success of relatives who share genes with it. Because close kin carry similar genes, helping them can spread shared genetic material even at a personal cost. This is often summarized by Hamilton’s idea that an altruistic behavior will evolve when the benefit to relatives, weighted by relatedness, exceeds the cost to the actor (rb > c). Kin selection is the mechanism that explains how inclusive fitness changes can promote such altruism. Group selection discusses evolution at the level of groups rather than gene-centered relationships, and a null hypothesis is a statistical term unrelated to how fitness is transmitted. So the concept that blends direct reproduction with the fitness of close kin is inclusive fitness.