3.6 Social Behaviour

Question 1

Give examples of behaviours of animals that live in social groups that are adapted to group living

Answer 1

• social hierarchy
• cooperative hunting
• social defence

Question 2

What is social hierarchy?

Answer 2

a rank order within a group of animals consisting of a dominant and subordinate members.

Question 3

Explain social hierarchy

Answer 3

• dominant individuals carry out ritualistic (threat) displays
• subordinate animals carry out appeasement behaviour to reduce conflict

Question 4

What are the benefits of social hierarchy?

Answer 4

• increase the chances of the dominants animals favourable genes being passed on to offspring
• animals often form alliances in social hierarchies to increase their social status within the group

Question 5

Explain cooperative hunting

Answer 5

• benefit subordinate animals as well as dominant ones, as they may gain more food than by foraging alone
• less energy is used per individual
• Enables larger prey to be caught and increases the chance of success

Question 6

Explain social defence strategies

Answer 6

• increase the chance of survival
• some individuals can watch for predators whilst others can forage for food

-groups adopt specialised formations when under attack protecting their young

Question 7

What is an altruistic behaviour?

Answer 7

a behaviour that harms the donor individual but benefits the recipient

Question 8

When would altruistic behaviour be common?

Answer 8

between a donor and a recipient if they are related

Question 9

What is reciprocal altruism?

Answer 9

where the roles of the donor and recipient later reverse, often occurs in social animals

Question 10

Why will the donor benefit in kin selection?

Answer 10

-increased chances of survival of shared genes in the recipients off spring or future offspring

Question 11

Give 4 examples of social insects

Answer 11

• bees
• wasps
• ants
• termites

Question 12

What is the structure of social insects society?

Answer 12

• only some individuals (queens and drones) contribute reproductively
• most members of the colony are sterile who co-operate with close relatives to raise relatives

Question 13

Why do sterile workers raise relatives?

Answer 13

to increase survival of shared genes

Question 14

Give examples of worker’s roles

Answer 14

• defending the hive
• collecting pollen
• carrying out waggle dances to show the direction of food

Question 15

Explain primates period of parental care

Answer 15

Primates have a long period of parental care to allow learning of complex social behaviour

Question 16

What supports the social hierarchy and what effect does this have?

Answer 16

• complex social behaviour

- reduces conflict through ritualistic display and appeasement behaviour

Question 17

Give examples of appeasement behaviour

Answer 17

• grooming
• facial expression
• body posture
• sexual presentation

Question 18

Why are alliances formed between individuals?

Answer 18

to increase social status within the group