4b: Reproductive Behaviours and Mating Systems in Animals

Question 1

What are mating systems are based on

Answer 1

how many mates an individual has during one breeding season

Question 2

Monogamy

Answer 2

the mating of a pair of animals to the exclusion of all others.

Question 3

Polygamy

Answer 3

individuals of one sex have more than one mate.

Question 4

Polygyny

Answer 4

one male mates exclusively with a group of females.

Question 5

Polyandry

Answer 5

one female mates with a number of males in the same breeding season

Question 6

Successful courtship behaviour in birds and fish can be a result of species-specific…

Answer 6

sign stimuli and fixed action pattern responses

Question 7

What does sexual selection select for

Answer 7

characteristics that have little survival benefit for the individual, but increase their chances of mating

Question 8

Many species exhibit __________ as a product of sexual selection

Answer 8

sexual dimorphism

Question 9

Female choice involves females assessing _________ of the fitness of males

Answer 9

Honest signals

Question 10

What do honest signals indicate

Answer 10

Honest signals can indicate favourable alleles that increase the chances of survival of offspring (fitness) or a low parasite burden suggesting a healthy individual.

Question 11

What is lekking

Answer 11

In lekking species, males gather to display at a lek, where female choice occurs
- Some bird species exhibit lekking behaviour.
- Dominant males occupy the centre of the lek, with subordinates and juveniles
at the fringes as ‘satellite’ males.
- During the display, female choice occurs.