Altruism And Social Bonding

Question 1

What is altruism

Answer 1

When an animal behaves in a way which benefits others at its own expense

For example
Female vervet monkeys spots a predator, they emit a warning call to the of the group. This draws attention to them, which increases the chances of them being killed

Question 2

What is true altruism

Answer 2

True altruism is rare and currently unproven
~feeding offspring over oneself increases the animals own genetic fitness
~keeping watch whilst other animals forage benefits the group as each animal will the get chance to eat
~living in a group and sharing resources creates a “dilution effect” makes each animals less likely to be eaten by predators

Question 3

What is reciprocal altruism

Answer 3

An animal temporarily acts in a way that reduces their benefits for another with the expectation of something in return

Question 4

What is symbiosis

Answer 4

Mutual assistance between unrelated members of the same or different species

Question 5

Rules of reciprocal altruism

Answer 5

~must be helpful acts to unrelated animals which will later return the favor
~animals must be be capable of recognising each other in order to reciprocate and to notice if other animals are cheating
~animals must have a reasonably long life span, otherwise they may not re-encounter the same animals and have chance for reciprocation to take place
~the benefits of the act must outweigh the costs, otherwise there is no point

Question 6

What is affiliative behaviour

Answer 6

Behaviour which relate to the formation of social and emotional bonds with others. These are of mutual benefit to all animals involved

For example
Dolphins engage in behaviours that involve physical contact and synchronisation to affirm social and emotional bonds within pods

Question 7

What is life like in a social group

Answer 7

~share resources such as food/water/territory 
~reduces risk of predation
~allows animals to share roles, such as care of offspring 
~increases chances of hunting success 
~social animals can take turns 
~allows mutually beneficial behaviour 
~increased chances of successful mating 
~animals can share information

Question 8

What does safety in numbers/dilution effect mean?

Answer 8

“Large numbers of animals dilute or reduve the chance of any one animal being attacked”-dilute effect

Large groups have a higher chance of being detected by predators but they are more animals looking out for predators, reducing the chance of being taken by surprise

Question 9

Benefits and costs to all positions of a group

Answer 9

Middle 
Less risk of predation+
Less likely to see a predator in good time-
Not have first access to food-
Diet will be minimal and low quality- 

Outside 
Will be first to notice predators+
Able to escape danger more easily+
First access to food+
At higher risk of predation-

Question 10

What does selfish herd effect mean

Answer 10

Grouping together can help prey species to confuse their predators. When a predator approaches, they scatter off in all directions making it difficult for predators to track and follow individuals