3.6 social behaviour

Question 1

Define social behaviour

Answer 1

-many animals live in social groups and have adopted behaviours to working in groups

Question 2

Give 3 examples of social behaviour

Answer 2

• social hierarchy
• cooperative hunting
• social defence

Question 3

What is a dominant member within a social hierarchy

Answer 3

-the member present in a group to carry out threatening behaviours (ritualistic)

Question 4

Define social hierarchy

Answer 4

-a rank order within the group consisting of dominant members and subordinate members

Question 5

Give an example of a dominant member

Answer 5

-a dominant wolf in a group: high body, high tail, fixed stare, upright ears and baring teeth

Question 6

What is a subordinate member within a social group

Answer 6

-subordinate members are the ones present to reduce any conflict and carry out behaviours to appease

Question 7

Give an example of a subordinate member within a group

Answer 7

-subordinate wolf: ears held back and flattened, lowered body, head tilted down, eyes tilted down, tail tucked underneath

Question 8

Why do groups undergo social hierarchy

Answer 8

• increases the chance of favourable genes from the dominant members being passed into the offspring
• groups may also form alliances to increase social status within a group of animals

Question 9

Define cooperative hunting

Answer 9

-predatory animals often hunt together to increase in hunting success

Question 10

What are the advantages of cooperative hunting

Answer 10

• more food obtained
• less energy used
• larger prey caught
• increase in hunting success

Question 11

How does cooperative hunting increase the amount of food ontained

Answer 11

-the animals are working together and are using more members which leads to more food being obtained, which also benefits the subordinate members

Question 12

How does cooperative hunting decrease the amount of energy used

Answer 12

-more energy is used by an individual hunting solo as it is more work for the animal

Question 13

How does cooperative hunting lead to larger prey being caught

Answer 13

-working together animals can predate larger prey than working alone

Question 14

How does cooperative hunting increase the chance of hunting success

Answer 14

-with animals working together as a group rather than solo, the group is more likely to succeed

Question 15

What is altruism

Answer 15

-an altruistic behaviour is an unselfish behaviour which harms the donor individual but benefits the recipient

Question 16

What are the 2 possible explanations for altruistic behaviour

Answer 16

• reciprocal

- kin selection

Question 17

Define reciprocal altruism

Answer 17

• when one animal giving help to another animal in the prospect that the favour will be returned
• the roles of donor and recipient later reverse

Question 18

Give an example of reciprocal altruism

Answer 18

-grooming to remove parasites in primates and apes

Question 19

Define kin selection

Answer 19

• some behaviour that can appear to be altruistic can be common between the donor and recipient if the 2 animals involved are related to each other
• kin selection predicts that animals are more likely to behave altruistically towards their relatives than towards any unrelated member of their species

Question 20

What is a benefit of kin selection

Answer 20

-increases chances of survival of shared genes in the recipients offspring/ future offspring

Question 21

Give an example of a social insect

Answer 21

-bees, wasps, termites

Question 22

What is a queens role in a social insect group

Answer 22

• lays eggs (<2000 per day in April/may)

- high importance

Question 23

What is the role of a worker in a social insect group

Answer 23

• defend the huge, feed larvae, groom queen, collect pollen, pollinate, waggle dance
• mid importance

Question 24

What is the role of a drone in a social insect group

Answer 24

• mate with queen

- low importance

Question 25

What is the purpose of the waggle dance

Answer 25

-show the direction of a food source

Question 26

What are complex social behaviours in primates

Answer 26

-foraging, hunting, recognising danger,