Ch6-Behavioral Adaptations for Survival

Question 1

Define: mobbing behavior

Answer 1

antipredator behavior which occurs when individuals of a certain species mob a potentially dangerous predator by cooperatively attacking or harassing it, usually to protect their offspring.

Question 2

Define: adaptationist

Answer 2

A behavioral biologist who develops and tests hypotheses on the possible adaptive value of a particular trait. They test if a trait enables increased effectiveness of gene propagation

Question 3

Why can’t a behavior be selected for “perfectly”?

Answer 3

1. Failure of appropriate mutation to appear-especially when a new species invades an environment/other rapid env. changes
2. Pleiotropy-development of one trait simultaneously develops another (multi-gene development, very common)
3. Co-evolution-different species interact to cause to affect each other’s fitness. Evolutionary stability may never be reached

Question 4

Give example of constraints on adaptive perfection.

Answer 4

1. mutation-buprestid beetle and bottle/signs
2. pleiotropy-adults taking care of another species’ young
3. Co-evolution-garter snake and salamander

Question 5

Define: fitness

Answer 5

Number of offspring produced (that eventually live to reproduce).

Question 6

Define: adaptation.

Answer 6

Hereditary trait that either
1) spread through the population in the past that has been maintained by natural selection
2) is currently being selected for/spreading
and confers higher genetic success.

Question 7

Define:
A)fitness benefit
B)fitness cost

Answer 7

A) positive effect of a trait on number of surviving offspring produced by an individual, or number of copies of its alleles that contribute to the next generation
B) negative/damaging effects of the trait on these measures of individual genetic success

Question 8

Define: comparative method

Answer 8

Involves testing predictions (about evolution of an interesting trait) by looking at species, other than the one whose characteristics are under investigation, under similar selective pressures. Ex. Hanuman langur monkeys,lions and infanticide. Gulls, ground squirrels/bank swallows and mobbing

Question 9

Define:
A) divergent evolution
B) convergent evolution

Answer 9

.

Question 10

Define: adaptive value

Answer 10

The contribution that a trait or gene makes to inclusive fitness

Question 11

Define: Darwinian puzzle

Answer 11

Species that seem unlikely to evolve by nature. Ex. Monarch butterflies

Question 12

Define: optimality theory

Answer 12

Evolutionary theory based on the assumption that the attributes of organisms are optimal/have more of a fitness benefit than fitness cost. Generates hypotheses about possible adaptive value of traits

Question 13

Define: game theory

Answer 13

Evolutionary approach to study of adaptive value in which the payoffs to individuals associated with one behavioral tactic are dependent on what the other members in the group are doing

Question 14

Define: selfish herd.

Answer 14

A group of individuals whose members use others as living shields against predators