21- Primate Social and Mating Systems

Question 1

What is a mating system

Answer 1

Describes the way that individuals obtain and bond with mates

Question 2

What is monogamous family units

Answer 2

• Long term pair bond

- Male and female (with offspring) jointly defend territory

Question 3

What is Polyandry

Answer 3

• Very rare

- Several males bonded to one female

Question 4

What is Polygyny

Answer 4

• Most common
• Multiple females per male
• Within multimale-multifemale groups

Question 5

Characteristics of primate social groups

Answer 5

• Complex social organisation

- Variety of long-term social relationships

Question 6

What are some features of primate groups

Answer 6

• Dominance hierarchies

- Appeasement & reconciliation after fights achieved

Question 7

Evolutionary increases invocal repertoire size among non-human primates were associated with

Answer 7

Evolutionary increases in group size and extent of social bonding

Question 8

Most common for which primates to inherit the dominance rank

Answer 8

Female

Question 9

Rank may be dependent on

Answer 9

Forming alliances with other individuals

Question 10

Chimps and humans share

Answer 10

96% of their DNA sequence

Question 11

Traits of chimps

Answer 11

• Long-lived (c. 50 years)
• Large brains (large relative brain size and neocortexratio)
• Very fluid social organisation
• Hunt for meat

Question 12

How do female and male chimps differ in adolescents

Answer 12

Females disperse as adolescents while males stay in natal communities throughout life

Question 13

Tai Forest (Ivory Coast) by Boesch& Boesch-Achermann
Chimps complex social system

Answer 13

• Live in communities (around 60 individuals in Tai forest communities)
• Group members gather in unstable temporary groups (parties) that usually include only a small subset of the whole community; mixed sex
• Adult males form coalitions with relatives & non-relatives
• High association rates between particular adult females –non-relatives –‘friendships’

Question 14

Chimps have high level strategies for

Answer 14

• Aggressive interactions silent patrols. males appear to actively search for signs or presence of neighbours by patrolling alongside or within their territories
• Sophisticated ‘collaborative’hunts with hunters. Performing complementary roles all directed towards the same prey

Question 15

In Tai Forest chimps how many tools are used a day

Answer 15

2

Tool use thought to be uniquely human till 20th century

Question 16

Cultural variation in tool use for chimps

Answer 16

Tool use occurs in all studied populations of chimps but crucially the size and nature of the tool repertoire varies between populations, as does the toolkit

Question 17

In cultural evolution inter-generation transmission of behaviour occurs through

Answer 17

Social learning (rather than genetically)

Question 18

Chimps are unusual in that

Answer 18

They show cultural variation in a range of behaviour patterns

Question 19

Whiten et al. 1999

Cultural differences in chimps example

Answer 19

• Rain dance
• Hand clasp
• Leaf napkins
• Ant dipping

Question 20

Chimps and Humans are similar at

Answer 20

• Complex fission-fusion social system
• Elaborate strategies in territorial behaviour
• Ability to make and use tools in unusually diverse and flexible ways

Question 21

Chimps and Humans difference

Answer 21

Human language