Living In Groups Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is the dilution effect?
Safety in numbers; probability of attack decreases with more individuals in a group.
What is vigilance in group living?
Seeing predators sooner; each individual spends less time being vigilant.
What are confusion effects?
Predators may have difficulty targeting a single individual in a group.
What is group defense?
The collective effort of a group to fend off predators.
What is a disadvantage of living in stable groups?
Inbreeding can occur.
What is the feeding interface disadvantage?
Competition for food resources can increase.
What is the increased disease risk?
Higher likelihood of disease spread within dense groups.
What is increased competition for mates?
More individuals lead to greater competition for reproductive partners.
What is intra-specific fighting?
Aggression and conflict can occur between individuals of the same species.
What is resource depletion?
Overuse of resources can occur in larger groups.
What does increased conspicuousness mean?
Groups may attract more attention from predators.
What is the optimal group size?
Theoretically defined, but varies by species and environment.
