8.1: Behaviours And Natural Selection

Question 1

Natural selection favors what behaviours?

Answer 1

• behaviours (innate or learned) that increase survival and reproduction

Question 2

Why does natural selection favour foraging behaviour? (3)

Answer 2

• food obtaining behaviour
• searching for, recognizing and capturing food items
• animals better at foraging will be more successful in finding food

Question 3

Natural selection favours mating behaviors. What is this? What can occur? (3)

Answer 3

• animals can be monogamous or polygamous (multiple partners)
• also known as polygyny or polyandry
• sexual dimorphism can result from sexual selection

Question 4

What is sexual dimorphism?

Answer 4

• systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species
  Ex. Males being larger than females

Question 5

Natural selection favours cooperative behaviour. What is this?

Answer 5

Behaviors that tend to increase fitness

Ex. Predator warnings, kin selection, pack behaviour

Question 6

Altruism is a type of cooperative behaviour. What is altruism?

Answer 6

• selfless behaviour

- reduces the individual’s fitness, but increases the fitness of the rest of the population