Chapter 6: Primate Behavioural Ecology Flashcards
behavioural ecology
the study of the ways in which primates adapt behaviourally to their environment
captive
housed in environments such as zoos and colonies where movement is restricted
provisioned
supplied with food
free-ranging
animals whose movements are not hindered by humans
habituated
accustomed to the presence of humans
social brain hypothesis
the hypothesis that the cognitive demands of living in complex social groups explains why primates have unusually large brains for their body size
monogamous
characterized by one adult male, one adult female, and their offspring
single-male/multi-female
consisting of a single adult male and several adult females and their offspring
polygynous
a type of mating pattern in which one male mates with more than one female
polyandry
a type of mating pattern in which one female mates with more than one male
multi-male/multi-female
consisting of a number of adult males and females and their offspring
fission-fusion
a type of multi-male/multi-female social group whose membership changes frequently as sub-units split apart (fission) and later rejoin (fusion)
philopatric
remaining in one’s birth group
matrilineal
groups in which descent is traced through the female line
dominance hierarchies
social structures in which males or females hold positions of rank determined either through competition or inheritance
rank
the social position or status of an individual within a group
sexual selection
a theory proposed by Charles Darwin to explain why males of some species adopt behaviours or morphologies that may not appear adaptive in terms of natural selection, but that in fact enhance reproductive opportunities as a result of successful competition with other males and their subsequent selection by females as potential mates
subordinate
a lower ranking individual
alpha
the highest ranking individual in a group
interbirth interval
the length of time between successive births
zoopharmacognosy
the self-medication by animals with plants, soils, and other natural substances
geophagy
the intentional consumption of soil
agonistic behaviours
threatening behaviours that are directed toward an opponent or adversary
affiliative
amicable behaviours that promote social cohesion
altruistic
behaviour that benefits other members of a group but is either of no benefit to the individual engaged in it or is harmful to that individual
ectoparasites
parasites on the outside of the body (e.g. in the fur)
kin selection
the tendency of individuals to direct beneficial behaviour toward relatives living with the same social group
consortships
among primates, temporary affiliations of males and females for the purposes of mating and reproduction; in some species (e.g., chimpanzees), males may forcibly coerce females into a consortship
reconciliation
the process of making peace after an altercation
proceptive behaviours
actions, typically on the part of females, to initiate a sexual interaction; may include facial gestures, limb and body postures, or movements, and sounds
aliphatic acids
a group of fatty acids that, secreted by a sexually receptive female, act as chemical messengers (pheromones) to alert males to her reproductive status
mate guarding
actions by dominant male primates aimed at restricting sexual access to receptive females
parental investment
a model describing the apportionment of resources (time, food, protection, caregiving, etc.) by males and females into the successful rearing of offspring
sperm competition
when a female mates with multiple partners over a short period of time, males who are able to deposit a larger volume of higher quality sperm farther into the female reproductive tract should succeed in impregnating more females; sperm competition is facilitated in multi-male social systems by large testes, large penises, longer tailed sperm, and the formation of copulatory plugs
infanticide
the killing of infants, in this context as a strategy to solicit reproductive opportunity by the adult male
pantomime
gesture that expresses meaning
