Lecture 6 - Environmental factors

Question 1

Describe honey bees age related behaviour changes

Answer 1

• juvenile hormone = secreted depending on environment

- ethyl oleate = proximate mechanism, only foragers produce it, inhibits foraging in younger bees

Question 2

Effects of early nutrition - David Barker fetal origins hypothesis

Answer 2

experiences as a fetus have life long effects

Question 3

Thrifty phenotype

Answer 3

poor fetal nutrition = small offspring

require less food

Question 4

Catch up growth

Answer 4

• Animal industry - low diet until just before market

- Normal feed = rapid catching up

Question 5

Zebra finches - high/low protein diet

Answer 5

no apparent difference in male phenotype
short lived anyway, die young
low food = use available energy for breeding plumage

Question 6

Red deer

Answer 6

calves born in cold spring = low birth weight = higher mortality

Question 7

Hormones and fetal development

Answer 7

2M females more aggressive/less attractive to males than 0M females
- influences reproductive success

Question 8

Fetal hormones and humans

Answer 8

women with twin brother = less likely to get married, have children