Intraspecific relationships

Question 1

Agonistic behaviour

Answer 1

• Any social behaviour related to fighting or aggression
• ritualised behaviour

Question 2

Adaptive advantages of agonistic behaviour

Answer 2

• ritualised fighting doesn’t kill other members of the group
• fighting to determine hierarchy or territory

Question 3

Reasons for ritualised aggression

Answer 3

• doesn’t use as much energy
• avoids serious damaging consequences
• less waste of time

Question 4

Dominant communication

Answer 4

• posture (bigger, fluffed up, upright)
• vocalisation
• violence
• threat displays

Question 5

Submission communication

Answer 5

• posture (making yourself look smaller, lowering head and eyes, tail tucked)
• vocalisation (whimpering, crying)
• Displays (running away)
• Grooming

Question 6

Home range

Answer 6

• an area that an animal moves around to collect resources or travel across
• not defended

Question 7

Territory

Answer 7

• an area of home range that is defended and marked
• strongest attacks here normally members of the same species fighting for best territorial spot

Question 8

AA of territory

Answer 8

• reduces direct competition so sufficient food, space and resources
• area is familiar site, protected for young
• spreads out, reduces aggression + disease

Question 9

AA of home range

Answer 9

• no need to expend energy defending it
• familiar area for food etc
• less competition as although shared, not many others

Question 10

Marking and defending territories

Answer 10

• singing (birds) + calls
• urine or faeces
• special scent glands which usually rub on landmarks
• waving body parts

Question 11

Hierarchy

Answer 11

A ranked order of individuals in a group where dominance allows privileged access to food, shelter, mates

Question 12

Pecking order

Answer 12

Linear order of dominance

Question 13

Benefits of dominant hierarchy

Answer 13

• Limits aggression as individuals only challenging those above them
• a division of labour ie. roles
• most dominant often the fittest are leaders and decision makes, and good genes get passed on as dominance more likely to attract a mate

Question 14

Courtship

Answer 14

Behaviour between individuals that results in mating

Question 15

Aims of courtship

Answer 15

• Reduce conflict
• Attract mate
• Assessing receptivity of a mate
• Defending chosen mates against other suitors
• Assessing ‘fitness’
• Species recognition
• Trigger to nest building or ovulation
• Strenghten pair bond

Question 16

Pair bond

Answer 16

Stable relationship that ensures cooperative behaviour

Question 17

Mating systems

Answer 17

The ways in which individuals bond during courtship and mating

Question 18

Polygyny

Answer 18

one male several females

Question 19

Polyandry

Answer 19

one female several males

Question 20

Polygynandry

Answer 20

several females several males

Question 21

Monogamy

Answer 21

breeding pair that forms a partnership for season/life

Question 22

Oviparity

Answer 22

embryo develops outside of body ie. egg laying

Question 23

Viviparity

Answer 23

embryo develops inside of body

Question 24

Methods of parental care

Answer 24

R-strategy and k-strategy

Question 25

R-strategy

Answer 25

Animals that have little or no parental care - Low survivorship - High energy investment before birth - Produce large numbers of offspring - Low reproductive effort per offspring - Effort is directed at producing, not caring

Question 26

K-strategy

Answer 26

Animals that have parental care - High survivorship - High energy investment after birth - Produce few offspring - High reproductive effort per offspring - Effort is directed at caring

Question 27

AA of R-strategy

Answer 27

- Less time expenditure - Less danger protecting offspring - Time feeding self rather than offspring

Question 28

AA of K-strategy

Answer 28

- Fewer gamete produced and fewer offspring need to be born - High chance of survival - Opportunity for offspring to learn skills

Question 29

Kin selection

Answer 29

Strategies in evolution that favour the reproductive success of an organism's relatives ie. parents being sacrificial to ensure the survival of offspring

Question 30

Kin selection AA

Answer 30

- Protect, feed members of group - Ensures some of own genes get passed on - A reason for altruistic behaviour

Question 31

Cooperative breeding

Answer 31

Related, non-breeding adults assist in raising the young

Question 32

Sexual dimorphism

Answer 32

The distinct difference in size or appearance between the sexes of an animal in addition to the sexual organs themselves.

Question 33

Polygyny AA

Answer 33

- Selection of fittest males with best genes - More genes of fittest male in next generation

Question 34

Key AA- MECPENG

Answer 34

Increasing genetic diversity Getting energy or nutrients Decreasing competition for resources Gaining protection from predators/environment Exploiting a resource others can’t Saving energy Guaranteed mate selection

Question 35

AA of pair bond

Answer 35

Less energy required to care for young as shared effort Provides young best chance of survival as parents can give more care (K-strategy)