1.11 - Social and Collective Behaviour

Question 1

types of sociality (6)

Answer 1

1. gregarious
2. sophisticated social groups
3. solitary
4. massive societies
5. hierarchies
6. machiavellian groups

Question 2

examples physical benefits of socialility (3)

Answer 2

1. larger number of fruit fly larvae breaks up food, encouraging yeast growth
2. water flea aggregations can survive alkaline water
3. warmth (e.g. penguins)

Question 3

protection benefits of sociality (3)

Answer 3

1. defensive formation (e.g. musk oxon)
2. flocks and shoals/schools
3. mutual protection

Question 4

predation benefits of sociality (2)

Answer 4

1. pack hunting
2. information sharing

Question 5

costs of sociality (5)

Answer 5

1. competition for food
2. reproduction interference
3. disease/parasites
4. conspicuousness
5. subordination

Question 6

mutualism net effect (2)

Answer 6

1. +ve effect on donor
2. +ve effect on recipient

Question 7

selfish behaviour net effect (2)

Answer 7

1. +ve effect on donor
2. -ve effect in recipient

Question 8

reciprocity net effect (2)

Answer 8

1. -ve then +ve effect on donor
2. +ve effect on recipient

Question 9

altruism net effect (2)

Answer 9

1. -ve effect on donor
2. +ve effect on recipient

Question 10

spiteful behaviour net effect (2)

Answer 10

1. neutral or -ve effect on donor
2. -ve effect on recipient

Question 11

spiteful behaviour examples (2)

Answer 11

1. three-spined stickleback prefer to eat eggs that are more valuable to victim than beneficial to themselves
2. herring gulls kill and dont eat conspecific young

Question 12

reciprocal altruism examples (2)

Answer 12

1. pied flycatchers observing 2 groups mobbing owl will help group that helped them previously
2. vampire bats share blood meals when needed

Question 13

what is required for reciprocal altruism

Answer 13

memory or honesty

Question 14

example of altruism

Answer 14

belding’s ground squirrel

Question 15

how does belding’s ground squirrel show altruism? (2)

Answer 15

1. produces warning whistle when badgers or coyote approach
2. whistler more likely to be killed

Question 16

ranking of Beldings ground squirrel calls (most -> least) (3)

Answer 16

1. most - females near family/offspring
2. intermediate - female near offspring
3. least - males

Question 17

kin selection

Answer 17

individual can still have reproductive fitness despite not having direct offspring (inclusive fitness)

Question 18

eusociality (3)

Answer 18

1. cooperative brood care
2. reproductive division of labour
3. overlapping generations

Question 19

reproductive division of labour (2)

Answer 19

1. reproductives (queen and males)
2. workers (sterile females)

Question 20

overlapping generations

Answer 20

offspring help parents

Question 21

haplodiploidy example

Answer 21

hymenoptera

Question 22

hymenoptera unique genetic structure (2)

Answer 22

1. females diploid (XY)
2. males haploid (HH)

Question 23

purpose of hymenoptera genetic structure

Answer 23

alters relatedness values between relatives:

same relatedness to sisters’ offspring as their own

Question 24

problem with haplodiploid eusociality explanation (2)

Answer 24

1. not all eusocial animals haplodiploid
2. not all hymenoptera haplodiploid (workers not as related as in simple explanation)

Question 25

eusociality + cooperation

Answer 25

division of labour + optimal organisation

Question 26

specialisation in honeybees (4)

Answer 26

1. reproduction (queen bee: larger etc) 2. defence 3. foraging 4. brood care

Question 27

why do older bees forage?

Answer 27

Variable risk associated with different jobs: colony output maximised when older bees undertake riskier behaviour

Question 28

pheromone trail (4)

Answer 28

1. returning from food source ant lays pheromone trail 2. others follow trail and reinforce if they find food 3. trail more attractive and number of ants rises exponentially 4. positive feedback loop, maximises utility of resource

Question 29

pheromone trail as a self organising system (3)

Answer 29

1. global pattern - trail network 2. ants are sub-units 3. ants respond to local conditions (no and knows overall state of system)

Question 30

non self organising behaviour

Answer 30

pack hunting

Question 31

pack hunting examples (3)

Answer 31

1. wolves 2. lions and chimps 3. killer whales

Question 32

wolves pack hunting (4)

Answer 32

1. optimised for stamina 2. social groups (some organisation) 3. enables tackling large prey 4. chase to exhaust prey

Question 33

lions and chimps forced ambus pack hunting (2)

Answer 33

1. less dynamic groups than wolves 2. both show evidence of teamwork to force prey into ambush)

Question 34

benefit of less dynamic social groups of lions and chimps

Answer 34

more stability = more chance to develop strategy

Question 35

different types of killer whale hunters (3)

Answer 35

1. hunt minke whales 2. hunt seals 3. hunt fish

Question 36

killer whale wave washing (seal hunting) (3)

Answer 36

1. spy hopping to identify prey 2. 2-7 animals swim in formation 3. 2 types of waves

Question 37

types of waves in killer whale wave washing (2)

Answer 37

1. small flow = big wave 2. big flow = smaller wave