Adaptation, Life History And Behaviour

Question 1

What is the Lack clutch size observation

Answer 1

Great tits lay 8-9 eggs

Question 2

What does the Lack clutch size measure?

Answer 2

Number of clutches, and recaptures per brood against clutch size

Question 3

Reproductive value is another term for

Answer 3

Offspring quality

Question 4

Offspring survival graph

Answer 4

Offspring survival decreases exponentially post Lack value

Question 5

Other lack graphs

Answer 5

1. Average weight of young against brood number
2. Percentage recovered 3 months after feeding against weight

Question 6

Describe the average weight of young against brood number

Answer 6

• average weight (g)
• as brood number increases, average weight decreases
• strong negative linear correlation

Question 7

Describe the percentage recovered 3 months after feeding against weight

Answer 7

• weight (g)
• as wight increases, percentage recovered 3 months after feeding increases exponentially

Question 8

How does the lack value compare to the Lack prediction

Answer 8

Observed: 8-9
Predicted: 8-12

Question 9

Give another trade off in reproductive success

Answer 9

Current vs future reproduction (multi-generational tradeoff)

Question 10

Describe mother survival against brood number

Answer 10

As brood number increases, mother survival decreases exponentially after a certain threshold

Question 11

Describe Visser and Lessells 2001 mother survival test

Answer 11

2 eggs added

Question 12

What constrains organisms from being ‘Darwinian Demons’?

Answer 12

They have to maximise all aspects of fitness simultaneously (there are multiple fitness axes)

Question 13

What do tradeoffs arise from?

Answer 13

Limited resources

Question 14

What is the strategy set of the male redback spider?

Answer 14

To catapult into female mouth or not

Question 15

What are the competing hypotheses behind the male redback spider observations?

Answer 15

• nutrition to female (nuptial gift of increased resources)
• mating success through assured paternity

Question 16

Make redback spider female nutrition hypothesis

Answer 16

• disproved
• females lay 250 eggs with or without eating a male

Question 17

How much bigger are female redback spiders, relative to males

Answer 17

50-100 times

Question 18

Make redback spider female assured paternity hypothesis

Answer 18

females that have cannibalised their suitor are 67% likely to reject a second suitor, and only 4% if not (Andrade, 1996)

Question 19

Plotting P2 against CD2 of second male

Answer 19

As copulation duration of second male increases from 11-25 mins, proportion of eggs fertilised increases from 45% (115) to 92% (235)

Question 20

At what copulation time does non-cannibalisation copulation cease

Answer 20

11 mins

Question 21

At what copulation time does cannibalisation copulation cease

Answer 21

25mins

Question 22

Cannibalisation vs future reproduction trade off (Andrade, 2003)

Answer 22

• A cannibalised spider has a 0% chance of reaching another web
• a non-cannibalised spider has a 16% chance of reaching another web

Question 23

The relative mating success of a cannibalised red back spider is equal to the

Answer 23

• Mating success with the first female
• 235 eggs

Question 24

The relative mating success of a non-cannibalised red back spider is equal to the

Answer 24

• Mating success with the first female (115)
• • chance of making it a o a second female x mating success (0.16x115)
    = 133 eggs

Question 25

Bluehead wrasse strategy set

Answer 25

Be a male or a female or a sex changer; when to change

Question 26

Bluehead wrasse trade off

Answer 26

- Relative benefit of being different sex at different ages - female fecundity v male mating success

Question 27

Fecundity against standard length in Bluehead wrasse

Answer 27

- standard length (mm) increases, fecundity increases - weak linear positive correlation - R^2 = 0.18 - n = 58

Question 28

Male size against daily spawning frequency (Warner et al, 1975)

Answer 28

- small fish have 1.3 dsf - large fish have 43.2 dsf

Question 29

Plotting of number of female sex changers against number of males removed in Anthias squamipinnis (Shapiro, 1980)

Answer 29

- As number of males removed increases, number of female sex chambers increases - strong linear positive correlation

Question 30

How did Lack calculate great tit reproductive success?

Answer 30

Multiple number of each chick by survival likelihood

Question 31

Why does offspring quality differ?

Answer 31

- genetics - metabolic cost involved in raising chicken

Question 32

What is the cost associated for male red back spiders)

Answer 32

Cannibalisation

Question 33

What breeding ecology are blue head wrasses?

Answer 33

Harem breeders

Question 34

Why do some small blue head wrasse males persist?

Answer 34

Sneaky fucker strategy