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Problem 16 - Olympiad

Biologists are discussing the evolution of altruistic behavior in social insects. Viewpoint I suggests that altruism evolved through kin selection, where individuals sacrifice their own reproduction to help relatives, thus passing on shared genes. Viewpoint II proposes that altruism arises from group selection, where groups with more altruistic individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce than groups with selfish individuals. Which finding would present the most significant challenge to Viewpoint I?

Correct: B

Viewpoint I (kin selection) is fundamentally based on individuals helping relatives to pass on shared genes. If observations show that *unrelated* individuals within a group frequently display altruistic acts towards each other (Choice B), it directly contradicts the core premise of kin selection, which relies on genetic relatedness. This would be a significant challenge to Viewpoint I, even if kin selection can explain some cases. Choices A, C, and D are either consistent with or supportive of kin selection.