11 Behaviour and Fitness

Question 1

What are the 4 classes of interaction

Answer 1

1. Cooperation
2. Altruism
3. Selfishness
4. Spite

Question 2

Fitness

Answer 2

of offspring contributions by individual vs # contributed by other members of a population

Question 3

Inclusive fitness

Answer 3

Individual fitness plus fitness of relatives

Question 4

How is work distribution and behaviour determined in bees by age or protien kinase levels

Answer 4

Age:
Younger bees work outside the hive
Older bees work inside

Protein Kinase:
More PKG work outside
Less PKG work inside

Question 5

Adaptive behaviour

Answer 5

Behaviour that increases fitness and is selected for over multiple generations

Question 6

Which of the 4 classes of behaviour should or shouldnt be selected for

Answer 6

Should:
Cooperation
Selfishness

Shouldn’t:
Altruism
Spite

Question 7

Why should altruism be selected against, why do donors do it?

Answer 7

-Donor is harmed while recipient benefits

Why:
1) Group selection- neglect personal needs for needs of the group
2) Manipulation- donor is unaware it is beinf harmed
3) Reciprocal altruism- recipient will pay back
4) Kin selection- help increase survival by increasing group survival

Question 8

Coefficient of relatedness

Answer 8

The probability that an allele will be identical by descent among 2 individuals in a population

How closely related are 2 organisms (siblings, cousins, parent-child, etc)

Question 9

How is altruism justified by CR

Answer 9

If cost÷benefit < CR

More distant relationship = smaller CR

More likely to take care of own child than niece/nephew than random kid etc

Question 10

Why is selfishness selected for? What is the relationship from the recipients perspective?

Answer 10

The donor benefits

Manipulation- they often have no means to recognize or prevent it so they dont notice

Question 11

Why isnt spite selected for (rare)?

Answer 11

Both donor and recipient suffer

E.g. badgers with TB leave kin (fitness disadvantage) and infect other non-kin (inclusive fitness disadvantage)

Question 12

Why is cooperation selected for? What is it?

Answer 12

Both donor and recipient benefit

Occurs between same species and related animals, sociality

Exchange of resources, protection, etc

Question 13

What is sociality, what is it accompanied by?

Answer 13

Cooperation usually between individuals living together

-cooperative feeding
-defense of the group
-restricted reproductive opportunities

Eg: mutual grooming, group protection, highly complex societies

Question 14

What are cooperative breeders? Why does it work?

Answer 14

Animals that live in groups, several adults help with offspring through

-defense
-preparing/maintaining living area
-feeding

Why?
1. Group members are most likely related (inclusive fitness)
2. Reciprocal altruism

Question 15

What is eusociality?

Answer 15

Highly complex social behaviour, 3 major characteristics

1. Multigenerational communities
2. Cooperative breeders
3. Division into sterile/non-sterile classes (only in insects, crustaceans, and mole rats)

Question 16

What are the eusocial castes)

Answer 16

1. Reproducing
2. Foraging, feeding & gardening, nest building
3. Defense

Question 17

Why did eusociality evolve?

Answer 17

Kin selection- individuals are very highly related due to limited breeding members

Ecological constraints: necessitates members be delegated to defense, maintenance, etc rather than reproduction

Question 18

Ethology

Answer 18

Study of behaviour

Question 19

Behavioural ecology

Answer 19

Study of behaviour in an ecological context, focuses on animals

Question 20

Behaviour

Answer 20

Internally coordinated actions or inactions of individuals or groups in response to internal or external stimuli

Question 21

How is natural selection related to behavior?

Answer 21

Natural selection favours behaviours that increase inclusive fitness