Pillars of Behavioural Ecology Flashcards
two levels of analysis
proximate and ultimate (short term and long term, how vs. why)
proximate questions
mechanism development
ultimate questions
adaptation/effect on fitness evolutionary origins
Tinbergen’s 4 questions
- how does behaviour work (mechanism)
- how does one develop the behaviour (development)
- what is function of behaviour (adaptation)
- how did behaviour evolve (evolutionary history)
how to read benefits + costs curve
plot them both on axes. look for point between the curves with highest gap, where costs are lowest and benefits are highest. theres optimal value.
optimality
when it is advantageous to engage with behaviour with maximal benefit and minimal cost
net gain
gains = benefits - cost
specialist
organisms that goes for one specific condition (an environment or food source). better in productive environments (can afford to be picky)
how do prey make themselves less profitable?
polymorphism (search increase), camouflage/crypsis (search increase), anti predator defence (handling increase) toxins (handling increase)
3 most important variables in optimality
decisions (what are alternative strategies?)
currency (what is being maximized and what is being used to quantify value of alternate decisions)
constraints (what are organisms limits)
evolutionary game theory
a dynamic game where strategies are compared. frequency dependent. best solutions depend on what others are doing.
evolutionary stable strategy
no alternatives can invade this strategy. ESS is an equilibrium
hawk or dove
hawk: escalate until injured or opponent leaves
dove: display, retreat when opponent escalates
both escalate: both injured (Fitness reduces by C)
Hawk v Hawk: 1/2 (V-C)
Dove v Dove: V/2
Hawk v Dove: V, 0
conditions for ESS
if all members of population adopt this strategy, fitness of members is higher than any mutant strat. no other strats are better or invade
ESS outcome of Hawk Dove
Dove not ESS.
Hawk an ESS if 1/2(V-C)>0, or V>C
