Behavioural Ecology Flashcards
What is behavioural ecology?
Studying the relationships between organisms and their environment that are mediated by behaviours
What is inclusive fitness?
Overall fitness of an individual that is determined by its survival and reproduction, as well as that of its relatives and offspring
What is kin selection?
An individual is more likely to help its relatives
What are the 4 classes of social interaction?
Cooperation, selfishness, altruism, spite
Why do organisms act altruistically? 4 reasons
- Group selection (meerkats)
- Kin selection
- Manipulation
- Later turns into cooperation/ reciprocal
What is eusociality?
A complex level of sociality that includes multiple generations living together, cooperative care of young, division of individuals into sterile and reproductive classes based on size
What is cooperative breeding? Why do it?
Groups of adults cooperate in producing and raising offspring, even young that isn’t their own. They will defend the young or defend territories. It improves inclusive fitness, the helper’s ability to be helped in return
How is labour divided in a eusocial species?
Size
