Question

8. On the nature soap opera “Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) Manor", Flower and Yuserian’s eldest son, Bobo, helped his parents to feed several of his younger full siblings over the years, ensuring the survival of four more than would have survived without his help. He also gave alarm calls that saved the lives of his half-sister Mozart’s three offspring (which she had in secret with Lefty). But by giving these alarm calls, Bobo was killed by a hawk (which is why fans of Meerkat Manor haven’t heard of Bobo before). As a result of his hard work and shortened life, Bobo did not produce the five offspring of his own (direct fitness) that he otherwise might have had secretly with Tosca…

a) Based on this information alone, was Bobo a genetic dodo or did his altruistic behavior maximize his inclusive fitness? Explain why or why not, showing your work, including pathway-link diagrams. [Hint: Just figure out each part of Bobo’s indirect fitness separately and add them.] (10 points)

Answer 1