Bio Sisterhood: 17 MCQs with answers

Shared genetic relatedness or social ties through descent or marriage

Kinship refers to genetic relatedness or social ties that form the basis for cooperation and altruism among females.

Female baboons forming grooming alliances

Female baboons often form strong social bonds through grooming, which provides support and reduces stress.

Social and cooperative relationships among females

Female bonds encompass both kin and non-kin social relationships that involve cooperation and support.

A line of descent traced through females

A matriline is a lineage based on female ancestry, often central to social structure in many species.

True

Helping relatives like nieces and nephews can increase indirect fitness, as they share genes.

False

Cooperation can be mutualistic or selfish; individuals may cooperate to gain personal benefits.

Females remaining in their natal group, forming close kin networks

Female philopatry means females stay in their birth group, which fosters strong kinship bonds and cooperation.

Kin selection

Kin selection favors behaviors that increase the survival of relatives, thereby passing on shared genes.

Benefits outweigh costs and reciprocity is possible

Reciprocal altruism can evolve when individuals exchange favors over time, benefiting both.

Helping others with the expectation of future return

Reciprocal altruism involves exchanging acts of help, with the expectation that the favor will be returned.

Offspring from previous broods

Helpers are typically older offspring that delay dispersal and help raise siblings, gaining indirect fitness benefits.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is known to promote trust, bonding, and cooperative behaviors.

Increased risk of exploitation by cheaters

Cooperation can be exploited by individuals who take benefits without reciprocating, posing a cost.

Long-term matriarchal leadership and communal care of young

Elephant herds are led by older females and involve cooperative care of calves, strengthening bonds.

Guaranteed mating opportunities

While bonds offer many benefits, they do not guarantee mating opportunities; mating success depends on multiple factors.

Maternal inheritance of rank and female coalitions

Female spotted hyenas inherit social rank from their mothers and form coalitions to maintain dominance.

Why females live long after menopause

The grandmother hypothesis suggests that post-reproductive females help care for grandchildren, increasing their fitness.