BIO220 Lecture 4

Question 1

Alarm calls

Answer 1

When one individual sees a predator, it calls to alert the rest of its group. But the predator will notice the one doing the call.

Question 2

Which species uses alarm calls?

Answer 2

• Ground squirrel

- Meerkat

Question 3

Which species use cooperative breeding?

Answer 3

• Scrub jay
• Meerkats
• Bee-eaters

Question 4

Which species are part of eusocieties?

Answer 4

• Naked mole rats
• Wood/red ant
• Bees, wasps

Question 5

Cooperative breeding

Answer 5

Individuals help other individuals raise their young

Question 6

Eusociety

Answer 6

Social groups with overlapping generations
Hierarchy; individuals with different roles
Usually one the queen reproduces

Question 7

Social behaviour

Answer 7

Interaction and responses to other individuals in the same species

Question 8

Two types of social behaviour:

Answer 8

1. Altruistic

2. Cooperative

Question 9

Altruistic behaviour

Answer 9

Behaviour increases another individual’s reproductive success at the cost to one’s own

Question 10

Cooperative behaviour

Answer 10

If adopted by two (or more) individuals, this behaviour will benefit both

Question 11

When was Game Theory developed?

Answer 11

During the Cold War

Question 12

What can game theory be applied to?

Answer 12

• Economics
• Evolutionary biology
• Military

Question 13

Dove-dove

Answer 13

R/2

Question 14

Dove-hawk

Answer 14

0

Question 15

Hawk-dove

Answer 15

R

Question 16

Hawk-Hawk

Answer 16

R/2-C

Question 17

Fitness is…dependent

Answer 17

frequency

Depend on how many of your opponent/prey is in the population

Question 18

When is it best to be selfish?

Answer 18

Only one interaction with someone

Question 19

When is it best to be cooperative?

Answer 19

Multiple encounters with someone

Question 20

Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma strategy

Answer 20

“Tit for tat”

1. Cooperate on the first encounter
2. Copy opponent’s move every turn after

Question 21

Elements of tit for tat strategy

Answer 21

1. Start nice
2. Retaliate when partner doesn’t cooperate
3. Forgiving if partner begins cooperating

Question 22

What experiment was used to test the tit for tat strategy in animals?

Answer 22

Predator inspection for schools of guppies

Those with cooperating “partners” got closer to predator, and in a faster amount of time.

Question 23

Evolutionary explanations of cooperative behaviour

Answer 23

1. Reciprocity
2. Group selection
3. Kin selection

Question 24

Reciprocity was demonstrated using…

Answer 24

Prisoner’s dilemma (tit for tat)

Guppy predator inspection experiment

Question 25

if R > 2C

Answer 25

Always better to fight

Question 26

If R < 2C

Answer 26

Frequency dependent

Question 27

Group selection on calling gene.

Answer 27

Groups with all high callers will survive better than groups with low callers because callers warn each other of predators. The intermediate callers will lead to a decrease in caller gene. However, when everything mixes, because of the high survivability of the caller group, the caller gene is increased in frequency.

Question 28

Hypothetical experiment on group selection

Answer 28

Caller gene in crows

Question 29

Actual experiment on group selection

Answer 29

Impatiens capensis flower:
Large plants out compete small plants individually, but small plants are still common because they cooperate better together.

Question 30

If altruistic behaviour is directed towards everyone, who has the best fitness?

Answer 30

Non-altruists (get benefits without paying cost)

Question 31

If altruistic behaviour is directed towards other altruists, who has the best fitness?

Answer 31

Altrusists

Question 32

To ensure that altruistic behaviur is only done on other altruistsi, what do altruists do?

Answer 32

Direct behavoiur towards relatives (likely to also have the altruist gene)

Question 33

Hamilton’s Rule

Answer 33

bR > c
b = benefit to recipient
c = cost to altruist
R = coefficient of relatedness (chance that recipient also has altruist gene)

Question 34

Hamilton’s Rule was used to describe…

Answer 34

when altruistic behaviour is favoured

Question 35

What experiment was done to prove Hamilton’s Rule?

Answer 35

Alarm calling in ground squirrels:

More likely to alarm call if group has more closely related individuals

Question 36

While natural selection can’t favour self sacrificial genes, it…

Answer 36

can favour self-sacrificial individuals if it increase the overall frequency of that gene