L16 - Play

Question 1

What are 5 key criteria for play?

Answer 1

• Not fully functional, does not immediately contribute to fitness
• Spontaneous, done for its own sake
• Exaggerated, incomplete, awkward
• Repeated, often at particular developmental stage
• Occurs in conditions of safety, free from stresses

Question 2

What is behavioural ecology?

Answer 2

The study of behavioural interactions between individuals within populations and communities, usually in an evolutionary context

Question 3

Give an example of the fish species cichlid playing

Answer 3

The cichlid repeatedly strike weeble-like thermometer, irrespective of presence of food or other fish

Question 4

In mammals, what is the relationship between brain size and volume of playing? Which order is this not seen in?

Answer 4

As brain size increases so does the volume of play

Not seen in carnivores

Question 5

What is ontogenetic?

Answer 5

The origination and development of an organism

Question 6

Give 2 examples of different ontogenic patterns of play

Answer 6

In rats, play is most intense between weaning and pre-adolescence but drops off before adulthood
In dolphins and chimps, play begins after weaning and stays at nearly the same intensity throughout life

Question 7

What are examples of the cost of play?

Answer 7

• In South American fur seals, of 26 pups that died 84% of them died during play
• Play by cheetah cubs causes 1.5% of mother’s hunts to fail by alerting prey
• In assamese macaque, play had negative impact on growth

Question 8

In macaque, what was the relationship between play and both growth and skill acquisition?

Answer 8

Play had negative impact on growth & positive impact on skill acquisition

Question 9

In terms of skill and energy what are the two categories play falls in to?

Answer 9

• Low cost, using surplus energy, little skill developed
• Beneficial, trains motor skills, higher cost

Question 10

In juvenile vervet monkeys, what was the relationship between volume of play and food availability? And what does this suggest about costs?

Answer 10

When there was less food available the monkeys played less.
Suggests costs are important & that there are strong energetic constraints to play

Question 11

What are the benefits of play?

Answer 11

• Enhanced motor skills
• Enhanced physiological development
• Integration of sensory systems
• Experience adult-like roles
• Communication skills and interpretation
• Degree of dominance status
• Learn about novel objects/conspecifics
• Neural development
• Flexible thinking

Question 12

How do rats deprived of play respond to negative stimuli compared to control rats?

Answer 12

Play deprived rats respond more negatively to negative stimuli than control rats

Question 13

What are the 3 types of play?

Answer 13

Object play - play with an object that is not alive (edible or non-edible)
Locomotion play - jumping, tail chasing, running, turning, carried out alone
Social play - any play with another individual

Question 14

When shown 44 novel objects, which type of objects did juvenile ravens continue to pay attention?

Answer 14

Only edible objects

Question 15

In mice, rats and cats, what coincides with time of maximum play?

Answer 15

Synaptogenesis

Question 16

What could be the reason for why carnivores and big horn sheep prefer to play with their own sex?

Answer 16

To help establish social position

Question 17

In beluga whales what are the sex differences in type of play?

Answer 17

Females perform more object play, males perform more motor play (exaggerated swimming, jumping)

Question 18

What are the sex differences in play in juvenile macaques?

Answer 18

Given a cuddly and functional toy. Males not interested in cuddly – females interested in both

Question 19

What does the fact that play is socially contagious allow it to do?

Answer 19

Spread good welfare in groups

Question 20

What does play indicate about the presence threats to fitness?

Answer 20

That threats to fitness are absent