Read the scenario below and answer the question that follows.Some ant colonies consist of a queen, who performs all reproductive duties for the colony, and worker ants, who perform all the labor that the colony needs to gather food, expand and defend territory, and survive. The worker ants are also able to—but do not—contribute reproductively to the colony. In a colony like this, the worker ants will give their lives to defend the queen. Why is the worker ant considered altruistic?
Answer
A
The worker ant cannot directly assist in reproduction.
B
The worker ant is willing to forgo reproduction itself.
C
The worker ant can’t reproduce as effectively as the queen.
D
The worker ant can adopt offspring from the queen.
Explanation
Altruism involves behavior that benefits others while the individual gives up some potential benefit or incurs a cost. The worker ants could reproduce but instead forgo reproduction and risk their lives protecting the queen, whose reproduction benefits the colony. Therefore, the worker ant is considered altruistic because it is willing to forgo reproduction itself.
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