The altruistic behavior of sterile worker bees can be explained through kin selection, a form of natural selection where individuals increase the reproductive success of their relatives, thereby enhancing the survival of shared genes. By sacrificing their own reproduction to care for the queen's offspring, these workers improve the survival odds for their siblings, ensuring that their shared genetic material is passed on through the next generation.
In honey bee colonies, the queen produces sterile offspring that protect the nest and forage for food. Assess how this altruistic behavior may have arisen through natural selection. Explain your answer in one to two sentences.(2 points)
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