3.6 Social Behaviour Flashcards
behaviours which are adapted to group living (3)
- social hierarchy
- co-operative hunting
- social defence
social hierarchy
a rank order within a group of animals which consists of a dominant and subordinate members
dominant individuals carry out…
ritualistic displays
subordinate individuals carry out…
appeasement behaviour
why do subordinate animals carry out appeasement behaviour?
to reduce conflict
social hierarchies increase the chance of what?
of the dominant animal’s favourable genes being passed on
why do animals form alliances in social hierarchies?
to increase their social status within the group
who does co-operative hunting benefit?
both dominant and subordinate animals
why does co-operative hunting benefit everyone?
because they may gain more food than by foraging alone
all benefits of co-operative hunting (3)
- individuals may gain more food than by foraging alone
- less energy is used per individual
- larger prey can be caught and there is a higher chance of success
benefit of social defence
increases the chances of survival as some individuals watch for predators while the others forage for food
what do groups do when under attack to protect their young?
adopt specialised formations
who does altruistic behaviour harm and benefit?
- harms the donor
- benefits the recipient
reciprocal altruism
where the roles of donor and recipient later reverse
reciprocal altruism often occurs in … animals
social animals
among whom is altruistic behaviour common?
related individuals
who benefits in kin selection?
the donor
how does the donor benefit in kin selection?
increased chances of survival of shared genes in the recipient’s offspring
features of social insect societies
- complex social behaviours
- division of labour
- workers show extreme altruism
social insects (4)
- bees
- wasps
- ants
- termites
in social insect societies, do all members contribute reproductively?
no, only some members (queens and drones) contribute reproductively
what are most members of social insect societies?
sterile workers
main role of sterile workers and the purpose
raise relatives to increase the survival of shared genes
other roles of workers (3)
- defending the hive
- collecting pollen
- carrying out waggle dances to show the direction of food
why do primates have a long period of parental care?
to allow learning of complex social behaviours
why do primates have complex social behaviours?
to support social hierarchy, and reduce conflict through ritualistic displays and appeasement behaviour
ritualistic displays and appeasement behaviours (4)
- grooming
- facial expressions
- body posture
- sexual presentation
