Lecture 8 - Social behaviour & kinship

Question 1

benefits of group living

Answer 1

improved foraging efficiency
predation dilution
improved resources defence from non group members
communal offspring care

Question 2

costs of group living

Answer 2

sharing resources, competition
conspecifics may kill offspring
increased parasite disease transmission
conspicuous to predators

Question 3

ectoparasites in American cliff swallow

Answer 3

breed in colonies, suffer from blood sucking bug
limits chick growth
cost of group living = more bugs in bigger colonies
counterbalances with foraging success

Question 4

common guillemot

Answer 4

breed in dense group, synchronously
breeding success increases with density
greater safety
allopreening = reduce stress

Question 5

what is kin selection

Answer 5

favours reproductive success of relatives, sometimes at a cost to indv

Question 6

direct selection

Answer 6

act favoured by selection

parent and offspring

Question 7

direct fitness

Answer 7

fitness gain via personal reproduction

Question 8

indirect selection

Answer 8

beneficial effect on non-descendant kin

Question 9

indirect fitness

Answer 9

fitness gain helping non-descendant kin

Question 10

inclusive fitness

Answer 10

total contribution of genes to next gen, direct and indirect

Question 11

altruistic genes will spread if …

Answer 11

rB > c