Behavioral Ecology Flashcards
(165 cards)
1
Q
what is behavioral ecology?
A
study of the evolutionary basis for animal behaviour due to ecological pressures
2
Q
what is the optimal foraging theory?
A
the basis for analyzing behavior as a compromise of feeding costs vs feeding benefits
3
Q
three rules of OFT:
A
- preference for food with the greatest net energy gain
- feed more selectively when foods are abundant
- include low quality food only when profitable food are scarce
4
Q
Pied wagtail and beetle size
A
When eating randomly, the pied wagtail is more likely to come across an 8mm beetle. But when the beetles get bigger their handling time increases. To maximize caloric intake per handling time the bird eats more 7mm bugs even tho they are less common.
5
Q
sodium is the primary extracellular ion with the major role in…
A
- bodily fluid volume
- acid-base balance
- tissues pH
- muscle function
- nerve synapse
6
Q
how is sodium lost?
A
- urine, defecation, sweating
7
Q
terrestrial plants tend to be low in…
A
sodium
8
Q
what are aquatic plants deficient in
A
calories
9
Q
what are three constraints a moose has when choosing what percent of its diet are aquatic plants vs terrestrial plants?
A
- energy constraint (starve or survive)
- sodium constraint (need enough)
- stomach constraint (can only eat so much)
10
Q
Regional variation on mineral contents of plants and its significance for migration by arctic reindeer and caribou:
Aquatic plants from the coast and inland were higher in _____ and _____ than terrestrial plants
A
Na, Cl
11
Q
Regional variation on mineral contents of plants and its significance for migration by arctic reindeer and caribou:
this study supported the hypotheses based on salt hunger; namely that …..?
A
the primary reason to move in coastal regions was to compensate for Na deficiency in winter
12
Q
bison migration
A
have to make large migrations from their grassy areas to salt licks to get efficient sodium, cobalt, copper
- there are more predators here but they still go
13
Q
rules for optimizing foraging time
A
- concentrate foraging activity in the most productive patches and ignore patches of low productivity
- stay in the patch until the profitability falls to a level equal to the average for all foraging patches combined
14
Q
food occurs in a ___ ___ and in patches of ____ size
A
patchy distribution, different
15
Q
optimal foraging time experiment: bird opening lid
A
if the bird only took a short amount of time to open lid, might only stay a short while at the food inside (even if there was more food left)
- if the bird took a long time to open lid would stay a longer tim
16
Q
foraging time and predation risk: mouse
A
if the mouse is starving it will risk predation… if the mouse isn’t very hungry it will stay safe and not look for food
17
Q
territoriality
A
defense of an area and active exclusion of resource use by others through display, advertisement, or defense
18
Q
home range
A
the area over which an animal travels in search of food/mates/resources which is not defended
19
Q
T/F: home ranges are well-defended
A
false - they are not defended
20
Q
T/F: territoriality is common in predators, most birds, fish, and social insects
A
true
21
Q
name 6 factors that influence the size of a territory
A
body size, aggressive behaviour, habitat quality, population density, competition with others, ability to share resources
22
Q
True/False: Black-capped chickadees and mountain chickadees often compete for territory
A
false (their territories often overlap; they fill different niches)
23
Q
what happens when you remove some territories (ie. the great tit)
A
other tits moved into the free territory. the density stayed mostly the same
24
Q
how is territoriality often expressed without direct confrontation?
A
olfactory signals, bird song
25
what are some benefits to having a larger territory?
increased food, shelter, reproduction
26
what are some costs to having a larger territory?
increased energy demands, defense, injury, vigilance
27
how do you find the optimum territory size?
benefit - cost
28
in asexual reproduction, offspring are ______ to the parent
genetically identical
29
what is asexual reproduction common in?
bacteria, unicellular eukaryotes (paramecium), plants
30
what are the best predictors of asexual reproduction in animals?
- short lifespan
- constant environment
31
what is sexual reproduction?
genes from two individuals combine to form new genotypes different from both parents
-> parents: AA x BB produce AB offspring
32
in changing or different environments...
new genotypes may have higher reproductive output than either parental genotype
33
what are the two categories of sexual reproduction?
- dioecious
- monoecious
34
what is dioecious
male and female organs on separate individuals
35
what is monoecious
male and female organs on the same individual
36
diocecious species usally have _____ sex ratio
equal
37
T/F: very few species are dioecious
false, most species are
38
what are the two types of monoecious species?
- simultaneous hermaphrodite
- sequential hermophrodite
39
what is a sequential hermaphrodite?
male and female reproductive parts develop at different times during growth
40
what is simultaneous hermaphrodite?
individual has both sets of reproductive organs at the same time
41
coral reef fishes are commonly _____
sequential hermaphrodites
42
what is panmixis?
unrestricted random mating - all opposite-sex individuals in a population are potential partners
43
most marine schooling fishes and some marine invertebrates are....
panmictic
44
in panmictic populations, sexes are usually_____
monomorphic
45
what is polygamy
multiple partners
46
polygamy is _____ is most species
widespread
47
in polygamous populations, sexes are usually _____
dimorphic - look different from eachother, males typically larger and more elaborate ornamentation
48
what is polygyny?
males mates with many females but females mate with a single or few males
49
polygyny is common in...?
- amphibians
- reptiles
- songbirds
- mammals
50
what happens in female defense polygyny?
individual males defend groups of females
-> common in elephant seal, seal lions, deer, primates
51
what happens in resource defense polygyny?
individual males defend resources which females seek out
-? common in fish, songbirds
52
what is polyandry?
females mate with many males but males mate with a single or few females
53
T/F: in polyandry, females compete for males and defend sources
true
54
in polyandry, ____ incubate eggs and become ____
males, sexually inactive
55
what is monogamy?
mating structure where individual has high fidelity to single partner
56
lifetime monogamy is ____ in most species
rare
57
T/F: monogamous species exhibit lots of dimorphism
false, sexes usually look similar
58
in monogamous pairings, the young require extensive ______
parental care
59
T/F: in monogamy, both parents are usually required to look after the young
true, young are very needy
60
what happens to a litter or brood if a parent in a monogamous species abandons it?
the entier litter/brood can be lost
61
mate choice
the tendency for an individual to be selective in whom they choose to mate w/
62
in most species, females invest more than males into ______ and are responsible for most _____
reproduction, parental care
63
fitness of offspring is influenced by their _____ and this is a function of ____
genetic makeup, who the female chooses to mate with
64
in most species, females on average choosier than males as the ____ of making wrong choice is greater than that of males
fitness cost
65
on average, male fitness is _____ by maximizing the number of ____ (ie mating w ___ females)
increased, fertilized eggs, lots of
66
males ____ to females and engage in ____ with other males for ____
advertise, competition, access to females
67
in most species, females make choices for mates based on _____
multiple criteria
68
what are the 7 criteria for mate choice?
- nuptial gift
- dominant/strong male preference
- handicapped male hypothesis
- parasite-free male hypothesis
- symmetrical male hypothesis
- display evaluation
- inbreeding avoidance
69
what is a nuptial gift
males provide gift (resources, food item, territory) to the females in order to solicit matings
-> females use the characteristics of the gift to determine quality of the male
70
male hanging flies bring ___ to females to solicit matings
insect prey
71
hanging fly: nuptial gift of prey item
bring gifts to females. the larger the gift, the longer a male is allowed to copulate with the recipient. larger copulation time leads to greater sperm transfer to the female.
72
what is the probability of a male thynnine wasp mating directly related to?
his ability to carry the heavy female to multiple flowers
73
when does the female thynnine wasp make her mating decision?
during flight
74
while the nuptial gift is a ____ for hanging flies, it is _____ for thynnine wasps
prey item, foraging opportunity
75
why do male songbirds defend their territory from other males during breeding season?
allows foraging opportunities for females and young
76
female songbirds evaluate male quality based on the ___ and ____ of his song as this is correlated with territory size
length, complexity
77
males differ in their abilities to ___ and ____ territory
establish, maintain
78
high quality males contribute to _____ and ______
parental care, territory defense
79
elephant seal: dominant/strong male preference
- female elephant seals were all breeding but some had a few more pups
- most successful male produced 90 pups and the 10th ranked produced none
80
female elephant seals show a preference for _____ males
strong/dominant
81
why are small damselflies/dragonflies equally likely to win their aerial combat?
larger energy reserves (ie higher fat content) not larger size, increases chances of victory
82
male damselflies engage in ____ with other males over ponds
aerial combat
83
what is the handicapped male hypothesis?
the expression of elaborate displays by males that are costly to produce and costly to maintain provide the female the greatest reliable information on the genetic quality of the male
84
who proposed the handicapped male hypothesis?
Zahavi
85
how do female widowbirds evalulate males?
tail length
86
female widow birds choose...
long tails as this should indicate the best genetic quality in that the male has survived despite handicape
87
who proposed the parasite-free male hypothesis?
Zuk and Hamilton
88
what are the 5 points in the parasite free male hypothesis?
1. individuals differ in their susceptibility to disease such as parasites and pathogens, many of which can lead to mortality in young
2. resistance to disease has a heritable component
3. males with no parasites may have better immunological genes and improved physiological ability
4. bright nuptial displays are physiologically costly to produce
5. females choosing brightly coloured males are providing their offspring with advantageous genes that yield better resistance to disease
89
wild birds often have _____ that _____ the luster of their feathers
ectoparasitic lice, reduce
90
deloused males feathers had more sheen. females ____ them
preferred
91
Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis: Lizards on Caribbean islands
there was no association of parasite load with color either in a broad analysis or when correcting for phylogenetic relationships among the lizards
92
what is the symmetrical male hypothesis?
females prefer symmetrical males because they have a better genotype
93
excellent genotypes can ____ many ____ during embryological development and growth (______) and produce more _____ characterisitcs
correct, asymmetries, developmental homeostasis, symmetrical
94
minor errors during ____ and growth can result in slight asymmetries in structure (______)
embryological development, development instability
95
what can lead to slight asymmetries?
-stress
-pollutants
-parasitism
-homozygosity
-poor genotype
96
why is symmetry considered an "honest phenotypic indicator of genetic quality'?
symmetry reflects the inability of a genotype to buffer itself effectively against environmental stresses
97
female preference for symmetrical vertical bars in male sailfin mollies:
females have significant preferences both for bars per see and for males with symmetrical bars
98
T/F: the offspring of females with just a little bit of preference and the offspring of females with no preference have the same level of fitness
false, females with a little preference have more fit offspring than those with no preference
99
T/F: humans prefer perfectly symmetrical faces over slightly asymmetric faces
false, humans prefer slightly symmetrical faces
100
what is display evaluation?
females evaluate quality, complexity and coordination of display
101
what is inbreeding avoidance?
- all plant and animal species have one or more mechanisms to avoid inbreeding
- pheromones to detect homozygosity
102
many animal species detect _____ based on body odour (_____)
genetic kinship, pheromones
103
individuals have ~30 genes that code for a special class of ____ in cell ____ that are essential for out _____ system. this is the _____
proteins, membranes, immune, major histocompatibility complex
104
AA homozygotes produce _____ whilte a heterozygote can produce ______ (AB)
one type of protein, two different proteins
105
how many alleles can each gene in primates have?
55
106
______ appear to bind to specific recpetors and have _____
MHC molecules, distinct odours
107
where are olfactory receptors usually found?
nose, antennae
108
on average, females prefer males with the most ____ odour to themselves
dissimilar
109
the major process which increases genetic variability in small populations is....
immigration
110
the major feature of the Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis is....
bright plumage indicates good immunocompetence
111
what are the advantages for group living?
- increases food search efficiency
- increased capture efficiency
- increased detection of predators
- increased defence against predators
- selfish herd theory
112
seed detection in songbirds and fish detection in gulls is an example of_______
increased food search efficiency
113
larger hunting dog packs are capable of bringing down larger prey. does this mean that they net kj/dog/day increases linearly w pack size?
no, each dog typically gains a net 20,000kj/day until a certain pack size allows them to coordinate take downs of very large prey
114
at what pack size does the net kj/dog/day increase?
14
115
"mobbing" is an example of what?
defense against predators
116
what aspect of group living does the 'many eyes theory' relate to?
detection of predators
117
a pigeon living in a flock of 2-10 has what % chance of being eaten by a hawk?
55%
118
a pigeon living in a large flock has a decreased chance of being eaten by hawk because of the _______
many eyes theory
119
what is an example of mobbing?
flocks of smaller birds will harass a predatory brd
120
what is the selfish herd theory?
each individual is looking out only for themselves
121
another name for the selfish herd theory is...?
dilution effect
122
what are disadvantages of group living?
- sharing limited resources
- increased transmission or parasites
- conflict/stress
123
additional predators ______ optimal flock size
increase
124
the optimal flock size is the one in which.....
feeding is the highest per individuals
125
a decline in resources.....
decreases optimal flock size
126
what is life history?
set of rules and choices to an individuals schedule of reproduction
127
reproductive effort
the total allocations that an individual makes for reproduction
128
what are the categories of reproductive effort?
- r-selected
- k-selected
129
r-selected has....
- high numbers of offspring
- high population growth potential
- boom or bust cycle (unstable populations_
- max reproductive capacity (r)
130
k-selected has...
- low numbers of offspring
- low population growth potential
- stable populations
- usually long lived
- populations near carrying capacity (k)
131
T/F: reproductive effort categories are relational
true, rather than absolute
132
k-selected is a better strategy for when there are _____ resources
limited
133
mouse is r or k selected? what about bears?
r, k
134
what is semelparous
characterized by single reproductive episode before death
135
what is iteroparous
characterized by repeated reproductive episodes before death
136
what are examples of semelparous organisms?
cephalopods, most insects, salmon
137
what are examples of iteroparous organisms?
molluscs, most fish, most plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals
138
T/F: iteroparous organisms are k-selected
falses, categories of reproductive effort are relative not absolute
139
occurrence of parental care is generally absent in....
invertebrate taxa, sharks, amphibians, reptiles
140
amount of parental care _____ among similar groups
varies
141
types of parental care
precocial and altricial
142
what is altricial
young are helpless and requires parental care
143
what is precocial
young are independent at birth
144
_____ purposes that clutch size represents that ______ that the parent can successfully raises
Lack, max number of young
145
T/F: birds lay the max amounts of eggs possible to ensure the greatest reproductive success
falses, all birds lay fewer eggs than they are capable of having
146
clutch/litter size limits are found in ______
k-selected species
147
collared flycatchers: compared to normal clutch, chicks from artificially enlarged clutches had:
- reduced survival in first winter
- reduced egg production as adults
148
collard flycatchers: compared w normal clutch, parents from enlarged clutches had:
- reduced overwinter survival
- reduced egg production the following year
149
collared flycatchers....
feed their young until fledging
150
Canada Goose...
do not feed their young
151
Canada Geese: compared w normal clutch, chicks from artificially enlarged clutches had:
survival similar to normal clutch
152
Canada Geese: compared w normal clutch, parents from artificially enlarged clutches had:
- delayed molt/migration
- reduced weight subsequent year
- female bred later than normal on subsequent year
153
clutch size corresponds to...
the max number of offspring that the parents can rasies without a net reduction in their future reproductive effort
154
in most plants anf fish, fecundity (# of eggs) is ______ to body size
positively correlated
155
when is it useful to reproduce as early as possible?
in the absence of predators
156
when is it useful to delay reproduction?
abundance of predators
157
the best strategy for reproduction is the one which
replaces faster
158
early reproduction can be detrimental because
it often stunts the growth of females
159
there is a trade off between present ____ and future____
reproductive output, reproductive success
160
r-selection:
rapid development
high reproductive rate
early reproductive age
small body size
161
k selection
slow development
low reproductive rate
late reproductive age
large body size
162
r selection p2
short length of life
semelparous reproductive type
high mortality survivorship of young
163
k selection p2
long length of life
iteroparous reproductive type
low mortality survivorship of young
164
r selection p3
weak competitive ability
variable, usually well below carrying capacity population size
good dispersal activity
disturbed type of habitat
165
k selection p3
strong competitive ability
constant population size
poor dispersal activity
not disturbed type of habitate
