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Behaviour and ecology > Behaviour and adaptation > Flashcards

Behaviour and adaptation Flashcards

1
Q

proximate vs ultimate explanation

- define

A

proximate = immediate explanation for a behaviour

ultimate = evolutionary significance of a behaviour

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2
Q

proximate vs ultimate explanations

- inbreeding avoidance

A

proximate
= general behaviour that avoids inbreeding
e.g. don’t mate with those you shared a nest with

ultimate
= avoid deleterious recessive phenotypes

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3
Q

why do orgs avoid inbreeding?

A

avoids combinations of deleterious alleles

  • need to produce successful offspring that can pass on genes
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4
Q

hunting example

- facts

A

cheetahs hunting impala

C short bursts of up to 100km/hr

I top speed ~60km/hr

only 10% cheetah hunts successful due to short bursts and not as agile

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5
Q

hunting example

  • selection predictions
  • why?
A

should favour high speed in BOTH cheetah + impala

fastest cheetah should have highest fitness

slowest impala should have lowest fitness

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6
Q

hunting example

- why might we NOT see these predictions?

A

no variation in traits
- e.g. all run at same speed

variable running speed but NO heritable component
- determined by enviro = not affected by selection

speed may not be main component to success
- e.g. stealth + agility needed to chase zig zagging prey

trade offs
- fastest cheetahs exhausted after hunt = more vulnerable to predators

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7
Q

coloniality

- facts

A

many birds breed in colonies
- can be up to 1M in 1 colony

can reach high densities <40nests/m2

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8
Q

coloniality

- hypotheses for why

A

protection from predators

increased foraging success

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9
Q

coloniality example

- Black-headed gulls

A

protect the colony from crows
- nests inside colony protected more than those on outside

correlation suggests higher probability of a crow being attacked by a gull inside the colony
-> lower % of successful predation

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10
Q

coloniality

  • predators
  • prediction
A

colonies attract predators
- some colonies more vulnerable than others

depending on the enviro, will be susceptible to different predators

exposure to predators influences egg camouflage and the behaviour of adults + chicks

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11
Q

coloniality predator example

- nests

A

exposed nests e.g. black-headed gull on ground

  • camouflaged eggs
  • eggs shaped to maximise incubation efficiency

protected nests e.g. bald eagle on steep cliffs etc.

  • eggs not camouflaged
  • eggs shaped to not fall out nest
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12
Q

coloniality predator example

- chicks

A

exposed chicks

  • camouflaged
  • wander around nest

protected chicks

  • not camouflaged
  • stay in nest
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13
Q

coloniality predator example

- adults

A

exposed nests
- remove egg shells immediately after hatch

protected nests
- egg shells NOT removed immediately

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14
Q

why are egg shells removed by parents?

A

white inner of eggs makes nest conspicuous

= attracts predators

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15
Q

phylogenetic inertia

  • define
  • how does this affect taxa?
A

if your ancestors had a trait
-> likely you will too

related taxa likely to have similar traits due to phylogenetic inertia
.:. those taxa aren’t independent observations of the trait

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16
Q

phylogenetic comparative methods

  • what is it?
  • what do they do?
A

statistically analysing a trait that’s evolved multiple times

take into account the relationship between taxa

only uses independent contrasts

17
Q

independent contrasts

A

each time a trait changes in a tree
= creates 1 comparison

(no. of species is irrelevant)

18
Q

penis fencing in flatworms

A

unilateral transfer of sperm
- they keep fencing until inseminated

some species store sperm for several rounds before laying eggs

19
Q

paternal care in marine snail

- what happens?

A

after copulation, females deposit their egg cases on shell of the male they last mated with

male cares for eggs until they hatch

20
Q

paternal care in marine snail

- why is this costly?

A

males carry eggs for <1 month

egg mass = ~40% of avg male mass
so males lose weight

some eggs sired by other males
- cannot dislodge these without killing his own

21
Q

paternal care in marine snail

- why does this persist?

A

> reciprocal benefit
- other males carry his

> may assist own offspring

  • cannibalistic embryos
  • could boost their offspring’s viability by secreting or choosing favourable enviro

> may be best strategy is finding mate is hard
(pop density or sex ratio)
- better to care for other male’s young than get no paternity

22
Q

siblicide in blue-footed boobies

A

siblings fight aggressively over food

  • maybe to death
  • > get resources from parents

eggs are layered asynchronously
-> older chick kills younger

sometimes aligned
- if not enough food, don’t have to waste resources on weaker offspring

23
Q

infanticide in lions

A

males taking over pride kill all cubs below critical age

  • > brings females in oestrous sooner
  • > males get cubs sooner + increases reproductive success
24
Q

Tinbergen’s 4 questions

A 
function 
(adaptation)

phylogeny
(evolution)

mechanism
(causation)

ontogeny
(development)

25
Q

why do birds sing?

  • Tinbergen’s 4 questions
  • -> mechanism + function
A

mechanism
= changes in day length + hormone levels

function 
= males sing to attract mates + breed
26
Q

why do birds sing?

  • Tinbergen’s 4 questions
  • -> ontogeny + phylogeny
A

ontogeny
= male robin chicks learn the song from adults (often fathers)

phylogeny
= robins inherited this behaviour from ancestors

27
Q

why do birds sing?

  • Tinbergen’s 4 questions
  • -> which is correct?
A

all correct

different ways of asking questions about the behaviour

28
Q

bird song

  • used in 2 main contexts
  • how many birds use it?
A

mate choice
territorial defence

~4000

29
Q

bird song

- learned from father experiment

A

compared sound frequency of father’s song to sons with intact or no hearing

deaf son had completely different song to father

30
Q

song development

A

song learning + production are coordinated by a group of brain nuclei
(= the song system)

31
Q

song development

- impaired learning system

A

birds produce song but can’t learn new syllables

32
Q

song development

- imparted producing system

A

birds can learn song but can’t produce the song

33
Q

neurobiology of song

A

brain nuclei involved in song are distinctive
= RA = robust nucleus of the arcopallium

males have larger song nuclei

size of nuclei varies over year
- large in breeding season + small in non-breeding season

34
Q

song and territory acquisition

A

territories with complex song are occupied later

the more songs you have, the longer you stay in the better territory

35
Q

song and mate choice

A

males with larger song repertoire mate sooner

Behaviour and ecology (11 decks)

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