Question

We explored adult male infanticide in African lions in order to learn more about the ultimate causal logic of this behavior and of non-human animal social behavior more generally. Which of the following is the most accurate and complete statement of this ultimate logic?

	a.	Infanticidal male lions are more likely to transmit copies of their personal design information in all social contexts wherein they find themselves.
	b.	Male lion infanticide evolves because it is likely to increase the average fitness of the local lion population by eliminating less fit individuals.
	c.	Infanticidal male lions are more likely to transmit copies of their personal design information in the specific circumstances where they are in head-to-head competition with non-infanticidal males lions.
	d.	Male lion infanticide occurs because individual males' evolved minds find this behavior highly gratifying.

1. We explored the simple logic of "kin selection," a process central to understanding non-human animal social behavior (and some human behaviors, as we will shortly see). Which of the following is the most accurate and complete statement about the ultimate causal logic of kin selection? [Note that more than one answer might be a true statement without being the best answer to the specific question asked.]

   	a.	Kin selection results in the optimal level of cooperation for the benefit of the species of the animals engaging in such cooperation.
   	b.	Kin-selective cooperation creates a situation in which two pieces of information that are recent copies of one another can mutually assist in each other's ongoing replication.
   	c.	Kin selection results in the optimal level of cooperation for the benefit of the gene pool represented by the animals engaging in such cooperation.
   	d.	Kin-selective cooperation creates a situation in which two individuals who are members of the same closely related family mutually assist each other's ongoing reproduction.

Answer 1

Q1: We explored adult male infanticide in African lions in order to learn more about the ultimate causal logic of this behavior and of non-human animal social behavior more generally. Which of the following is the most accurate and complete statement of this ultimate logic?

ANSWER: Animal behaviour is an important branch of science and studies of animal behaviour is known as Ethology. Non parental infanticide (majorly) is a specific behaviour in African Lions in which an individual or group of two lions fight, defeat and ultimately exile the existing males of pride. As a result, the defeaters often execute any young cubs of losers. Due to this behaviour in lions, mortality is very high among cubs (below than 2 years). So based on this the most suitable answer is c) Infanticidal male lions are more likely to transmit copies of their personal design information in the specific circumstances where they are in head-to-head competition with non-infanticidal males lions.

Note: Infanticide by female is also very common among carnivores (eg Lion), known as filial infanticide (when a parent kills their own offspring, cub)

Q2: We explored the simple logic of "kin selection," a process central to understanding non-human animal social behavior (and some human behaviors, as we will shortly see). Which of the following is the most accurate and complete statement about the ultimate causal logic of kin selection? [Note that more than one answer might be a true statement without being the best answer to the specific question asked.]

ANSWER: Kin selection is an evolutionary strategy among a number of animals and this specific strategy favours reproductive performance (sucess) of the conspecific member (same species, relative) even at the cost of their own survival or reproduction. So the best answer is C) Kin selection results in the optimal level of cooperation for the benefit of the gene pool represented by the animals engaging in such cooperation.

For example: In Honey bees (Apis species) workers sacrified their life for reprodction and existance of the Queen bees and Queen bee control all the workers on the hive. Both members are genotypically same and behave differently.