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APS 209: Animal behaviour > 11: cooperative breeding > Flashcards

11: cooperative breeding Flashcards

1
Q

what are cooperative breeders?

A

helpers that assist breeders to raise offspring that are usually no their own

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2
Q

how many are cooperative?

a) bird species
b) mammal species
c) fish species
d) and what other group?

A

a) 4-9%
b) 3%
c) > 10 species
d) primitive social insects

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3
Q

what are the 2 main social organisations of cooperative breeders and a brief description of each?

A
  • helpers at the nest: breeding pairs aided by one or more helpers
  • plural breeders: several M + F share nest and raise communal brood
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4
Q

what % off cooperative breeders are helpers at the nest?

A

80%

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5
Q

list 3 examples of helpers at the nest

A
  • florida scrub jay
  • silver backed jackal
  • naked mole rat
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6
Q

what is the florida scrub jay example of a helper at the nest? (3)

A
  • pair and 1.8 helpers
  • helpers feed and protect young
  • helpers are usually related to breeding pair
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7
Q

what is the silver backed jackal example of a helper at the nest? (2)

A
  • pair and 1.3 helpers

- helpers regurgitate food to pups and the lactating female

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8
Q

what is the naked mole rat example of a helper at the nest? (4)

A
  • similar to eusocial insects
  • reproductive division of labour and caste system
  • some fight and others forage
  • colonies of 80-100 with only 1 reproducing female
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9
Q

list 2 examples of plural breeders

A
  • banded mongoose

- acorn woodpecker

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10
Q

what is the banded mongoose example of plural breeders? (2)

A
  • 4-40 in a group

- several female reproduce

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11
Q

what is the acorn woodpecker example of plural breeders? (5)

A
  • 2-14 group
  • often brothers and sisters but not related to each other
  • 1-4 breeding males
  • 1-4 breeding females
  • up to 8 non breeding helpers
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12
Q

who proposed the ecological constraints hypothesis and when?

A

Emlen 1982

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13
Q

what is the main key assumption of the ecological constraints hypothesis?

A

there is better fitness return from breeding than helping

- but the breeding is constrained

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14
Q

what is the long tailed tit example to support the ECH assumption?

A

long tailed tit

  • raising brood through breeding: 0.5 genetic equivalents
  • through helping: 0.14 genetic equivalents
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15
Q

what are the 3 stages to the ecological constraints hypothesis?

A
  • independent breeding constrained by habitat saturation or ecological constraints
  • causes grown offspring to delay dispersal and stay home
  • if the fitness benefits of helping exceeds not then the offspring will help to rear later broods
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16
Q

what is the acorn woodpecker example for correlational evidence for if constraints cause offspring to delay dispersal?

A
  • in bad crop years there is more helping

- larger crop means less constraint on independent breeding

17
Q

which species was studied to show experimental evidence for constraints causing offspring to delay dispersal?

A

superb fairy wren

18
Q

in the superb fairy wren

a) what % pairs have male helpers
b) what is the sex ratio?
c) who helps mothers raise broods

A

a) 60%
b) 1.8M : 1F
c) males that cant find mates

19
Q

what was experiment 1 on the superb fairy wrens to determine if helpers are constrained from breeding? (2)

A
  • male removed from pair

- 31/33 vacancies were filled by helpers within 5 hours

20
Q

what was experiment 2 on the superb fairy wrens to determine if helpers are constrained from breeding? (4)

A
  • male and female removed
  • this left 7 empty territories occupied by no helpers
  • females released after 3 days
  • 7/7 vacancies filled by helpers as more opportunity to breed
21
Q

what were the conclusions from the experiment on the superb fairy wrens to determine if helpers are constrained from breeding? (3)

A
  • helpers are capable of reproduction
  • habitat is limiting (ECH)
  • mates are limiting
22
Q

experiments reveal different constraints and there is a diverse range - give 3 examples

A
  • sociable warbler constrained by food
  • red cockaded woodpecker constrained by nest cavities
  • seychelle warbler constrained by high quality territory and food
23
Q

a) what is direct fitness

b) list the 4 direct fitness benefits

A

a) fitness gained from personal reproduction
b) - increased survival from group living
- increased probability of future breeding
- increased experience/skills
- direct reproduction

24
Q

what is the direct fitness benefit of increased survival through group augmentation? (4)

A
  • producing extra offspring benefits helpers by increasing group size
  • in a large group will help contribute to offspring
  • kidnapping in mongoose and white winged chough so is a helper in the new group
  • cichlid groups more likely accept immigrants when high predation risk
25
Q

what is the direct fitness benefit of increased probability of future breeding through territory inheritance? (2)

A
  • florida scrub jay

- 48% helpers eventually acquire all or part of parental territory

26
Q

what is the direct fitness benefit of increased probability of future breeding through mate acquisition? (6)

A
  • pied kingfisher
  • primary helpers are close kin
  • secondary kin are distant/non kin
  • 41% secondary males inherit female when breeding male died
  • 18% secondary males ousted breeding male
  • opportunity for unrelated male to breed
27
Q

what is the example for the increased experience/skills hypothesis for direct fitness benefits?

A

seychelle warblers

  • difference in successful hatchings and no of fledglings between those with no experience and those with help
  • helping helps to become a better parent
28
Q

what is the direct fitness benefit of direct reproduction? (4)

A
  • seychelle warbler
  • helpers usually female so they more likely gain the fitness benefits
  • 44% lay eggs in helped nest
  • 15% all young produced by helpers
29
Q

list the 2 indirect fitness benefits

A
  • increased reproductive success of relatives

- increased survival of related breeders

30
Q

what is the long tailed tits example for indirect fitness benefits? (2)

A
  • reproductive success increases with number of helpers

- if 3 or more helpers roughly 50% chance of survival and fledging

31
Q

what is the white fronted bee eater example for indirect fitness benefits? (2)

A
  • reproductive success increases with number of helpers

- BUT correlation does not mean causation

32
Q

what is the removal experiment example for indirect fitness benefits?

A

in 3 bird groups when the group size was reduced there was a reduction in reproductive success

33
Q

what is the load lightening example for indirect fitness benefits? (3)

A
  • increased survival of related breeders if reproductive costs reduced
  • helper gains indirect and direct fitness from helping
  • observed acorn woodpecker and dwarf mongoose
34
Q

what can constrain independent breeding

A

shortage of breeding opportunities/delayed dispersal

35
Q

the nature of what remains uncertain?

A

constraints and relative importance of indirect/direct fitness benefits in evolution and maintenance of cooperative breeding

APS 209: Animal behaviour (25 decks)

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