Chapter 7 Flashcards
Behavioural Ecology
Relationship between behaviours, natural environment, + biological traits of species.
- Based on assumption: animals, plants, + microorganisms evolved together.
- Behaviours evolved through natural selection, or some behaviours influenced by genes, are subject to natural selection the same way physical characteristics
Describe primate societies
Diverse set of social signals. Societies are highly complex. Form long-term relationships
Describe the work of Jane Goodall
1st to study primates in the wild, (later Birute Galdikas and Diane Fossey, Lewis Leaky financed).
Worked at Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania
Chimps make tools, hunt, kill, + eat small mammals-(antelope, warthogs, monkeys)
Sophisticated long-term relationships and social structure
Describe social structures
Composition, size, and sex ratio of a group of animals.
Result of natural selection in a specific habitat, guides individual interactions and social relationships.
What activity patterns factors influence social structures?
Most primates are diurnal, but several small-bodied prosimians + owl monkey = nocturnal
Nocturnal = forage for food alone or groups of 2 or 3, use concealment to avoid predators
What are the benefits of living in a group?
Group living exposes animals to competition.
BUT Costs of competition are offset by the benefits of predator defense w/ group.
Group living evolved as an adaptive response to a number of ecological variables. (raising young, reproduction)
How does Body Size influence social struc?
Larger animals = fewer calories per unit of weight than smaller animals.
Larger animals = retain heat better, energy requirements are less than smaller animals.
= affects feeding and infant rearing behaviours = affects social structure and organization
How does Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) influence social struc.?
Smaller animals higher BMR than large animals.
Smaller primates need energy-rich diet high-protein, fats, + carbohydrates.
Describe food foraging in primates
Up to 50% of waking time
Female burden.
Good nutrition = Earlier 1st birth, healthier infants, short interbirth interval, longer lifespan
Food factors: Quality, distribution, availability
How does the distribution or resources influence social struc?
Leaves = abundant, dense, + support large groups.
Insects = widely scattered, causing animals to feed alone or in small groups of 2-3
Fruits + nuts = in clumps, most efficiently exploited by smaller groups; large groups break up into smaller subunits to feed.
How does predation influence social struc?
Primates predators = snakes, birds of prey, leopards, wild dogs, lions, + other primates.
Predation pressure is high = advantageous large communities
Multi-male, multi-female groups or congregations of one-male groups.
How does dispersal influence social struc?
Members of one sex leave the group in which born when they become sexually mature.
Individuals who leave find mates outside their natal group, so dispersal = decrease close inbreeding.
Describe reproductive behaviours
sexual behaviour is tied to the female’s reproductive cycle–estrus.
Permanent bonding (females + males) = not common nonhuman primates.
Bonobos mate all the time, but not chimps.
Describe reproductive strategies
Primates = few young in whom they invest a tremendous amount of parental care (K–selected) (contrast r-selected)
Male competition for mates + mate choice in females = sexual selection.
Describe sexual selection
A type of natural selection that operates on one sex, usually males.
Long-term increases frequency of traits = greater success in acquiring mates
Sexual selection = common in species where mating is polygynous, strong male competition for females.
Sexual selection produces dimorphism, most noticeably body size (but others too)
What is the basic social unit?
usually mother and infant. Relationship is lifelong.
Except for societies where polyandry or monogamy is common, males do not help rear young.
Describe life histories
Characteristics or developmental stages that typify members of a species and influence reproductive rates.
Ie. length of gestation, interbirth time, period of infant dependency + age at weaning, age of sexual maturity, life expectancy.
Unpredictable environments = shorter life histories
stable ones = longer lives
Today; slow rate of reproduction increases threat of extinction for all great apes
Describe primate dominance
Dominance hierarchies = impose order + establish parameters individual behavior.
Higher-ranking animals + access to preferred food + mating partners than lower ranking
Sometimes called “pecking orders”, can change throughout life, are learned
What are factors that Influence Dominance Status
•Sex •Age •Aggression •Time in the group •Intelligence •Motivation •Mother’s social position
Describe Affiliation and Altruism in Primates
Affiliation: Reconciliation(hugging, kissing, grooming), consolation, + interactions between friends and relatives.
Relationships are crucial to nonhuman primates, bonds can last a lifetime.
Altruism, behaviours that benefit another while posing risk to oneself, are common in primate species.
Describe Grooming
Picking through fur to remove dirt, parasites, + other materials.
Social grooming = common, reinforces social relationships (critical to adult function and survival)
Describe Communication
Any act that conveys information to another individual. Result of involuntary processes or a secondary consequence of an intentional action. Autonomic/unintentional: raising hair Deliberate: Gestures, facial expressions, + vocalizations Fear grin (all primates) = indicates fear and submission. Also "the yawn" Grooming = submission or reassurance Displays = emotional states.
What the recording experiment with Dawn Kitchen demonstrate?
Primates know each other and their distinct vocalizations, and also know who is related to whom in a group.
Describe language
Vervet monkeys = specific vocalizations fir particular categories of predators, snakes, birds of prey, + leopards.
Baby vervets will use the “aerial” predator cry when anything comes from above—a leaf, a bird, etc. As they mature they get better at understanding which cry to use and when, and adults begin to pay more attention to them
Learned behaviour.
Communication
Gestural = Hand clasp, Cultural variants
Vocal dialects—diff groups of same species use sounds differently
Ape language studies - Kanzi ASL. Kanzi’s kids weren’t taught but they learnt from their mother.
Describe Aggressive Interactions
Group disruption, instead of affiliative behaviour - group cohesion.
Conflict = competition for resources: mating partners and food items.
Intragroup aggression = various signals + displays within dominance hierarchy.
Tense situations = submissive and appeasement behaviours.
Describe intergroup aggression
Primate groups = a home range where they remain permanently.
Home range has core area = highest concentration of predictable resources, group is most frequently found. Also group’s territory, and it’s the portion of the home range defended against intrusion
Describe primate cultural behaviour
Learned; passed from gen to gen through observation + instruction.
Nonhuman primate infants = observe mothers + others, learn about food items, appropriate behaviours, and how to use and modify objects to achieve certain ends.
What are some examples of primate cultural behaviour?
Japanese macaques and sweet potato washing
Orangutan nest building
Gorilla depth testing
Chimpanzee termite fishing, leaf sponges, hunting “spears,” nut cracking
Kanzi’s stone tool making
