squirrel guest lecture

Question 1

Are most organisms social or solitary

Answer 1

solitary

Question 2

are humans social or solitary

Answer 2

social

Question 3

adaptation

Answer 3

inheritable characteristic that gives the individual an advantage (reproductively) over others with different inherited abilities

Question 4

in behavioural ecology were looking at:

Answer 4

behaviours that give individuals an advantage

Question 5

how can a behaviour benefit an idividual

Answer 5

benefits/costs in terms of survival and reproductive success

Question 6

4 general benefits of grouping/being social

Answer 6

1-finding food
2-cooperative defense of territory
3-thermoregulation
4-detection and defence against predators

Question 7

Costs of grouping/being social

Answer 7

1-increased conspicuousness
2-increased competition for resources
3-increased disease/paracitism

Question 8

are ground squirrels social or solitary

Answer 8

many species which can be either or

Question 9

what has led to north american species sociality

Answer 9

hibernation!

Question 10

smaller bodied species of ground squirrels usually are social or solitary?

Answer 10

solitary!

Question 11

larger bodied species of ground squirrels are usually social or solitary?

Answer 11

social, stay with mom until they are big enough to fend for themselves

Question 12

why study cage ground squirrel?

Answer 12

easy to trap

easy to record behaviour

Question 13

what makes cage ground squirrels easy to trap

Answer 13

body mass, reproductive collection, collect parasites, collect fecal matter, can actually trap in cloth and observe up close

Question 14

what makes cage ground squirrels easy to record behaviour?

Answer 14

live in open areas

strictly diurnal

Question 15

Are cape ground squirrels social or solitary? explain

Answer 15

highly social

2 social systems–> related females and offspring, band of unrelated males

Question 16

what is a typical female social group

Answer 16

1-5 females and up to 12 related offspring
young females remain in burrow area of birth
males frick off
share sleeping burrows
share home range
care for eachothers offspring
increased reproductive success when in large groups

Question 17

benefits of grouping/sociality in cape ground squirrels?

Answer 17

1-finding food–>herbivores
2-cooperative defense of territory–>not territorial
3-thermoregulation–>winter only but social year round
4-detection and defence against predators–>vigilance

Question 18

what are 2 mechanisms of vigilance?

Answer 18

Dilution effext (pare of the crown hypothesis

collection detection (many eyes hypothesis)

Question 19

Dilution effect: individual vigilance (increases or decreases) with group size?

Answer 19

DECREASES

Question 20

Collection detection: individual vigilance (increases or decreases) with group size?

Answer 20

DECREASES

Question 21

Costs of grouping in cape ground squirrels

Answer 21

1-increased conspicuousness
–>
2-increased competition for resources–>
3-increased disease/paracitism–> high potential of migration of parasites among individuals

Question 22

predictions about parasite load with increased group size?

Answer 22

1-parasite load increases with increasing group size

2-remove parasiteswill increase female body mass, will increase female reproductive success

Question 23

what is allogrooming?

Answer 23

females clean everybody else in larger groups

Question 24

results of removing parasites from groups

Answer 24

females with no parasites have 4x as many babies than females with parasites
males are the ones carrying more ectoparasites

Question 25

immunocompetence handicap hypothesis

Answer 25

onle males in great condition can afford to invest in reproduction and deal with lowered immunity

Question 26

bigger testes in males=more testosterone=more testosterone! so why do they want bigger testes?

Answer 26

males cost of grouping is greater competition for males-->need bigger balls to compete

Question 27

describe a typical male band

Answer 27

male groups, no females up to 19 males unrelated share home range(not territorial)

Question 28

How do males compete if fighting and aggression are rare?

Answer 28

based on age! LINEAR DOMINANCE HIERARCHY

Question 29

linear dominance hierarchy

Answer 29

hierarchy based on age

Question 30

oldest cape ground squirrel males are dominant because

Answer 30

find more estrous females, first to mate, more mates per year than younger males

Question 31

sperm competition

Answer 31

sperm compete within the reproductive tract

Question 32

costs of grouping in males

Answer 32

increased competition

Question 33

increased sperm competition causes

Answer 33

overall selection for larger balls, along with increased incidence of parasites

Question 34

what are behaviours that counter sperm competition

Answer 34

masturbation and oral ejaculation

Question 35

why does masterbation-decreases STIs

Answer 35

masturbation happens most on day of estrous, higher amount of mates after copulation

Question 36

sociality overall benefit=

Answer 36

antipredator dilution affects and collective detection

Question 37

costs of sociality overall

Answer 37

parasites competition for males, STIs