Chapter 7 - Primate Behavior

Question 1

behavior

Answer 1

Anything organisms do that involves action in response to internal or external stimuli. The response of an individual, group, or species to its environment. Such responses may or may not be deliberate and they aren’t necessarily the results of conscious decision making.

Question 2

ecological

Answer 2

Pertaining to the relationships between organisms and all aspects of their environment (temperature, predators, nonpredators, vegetation, availability of food and water, types of food, disease organisms, parasites, etc.).

Question 3

behavioral ecology

Answer 3

The study of the evolution of behavior, emphasizing the role of ecological factors as agents of natural selection. Behaviors and behavioral patterns have been favored because they increase the reproductive fitness of individuals (i.e., they are adaptive) in specific environmental contexts.

Question 4

social structure

Answer 4

The composition, size, and sex ratio of a group of animals. The social structure of a species is, in part, the result of natural selection in a specific habitat, and it guides individual interactions and social relationships.

Question 5

metabolism

Answer 5

The chemical processes within cells that break down nutrients and release energy for the body to use. (When nutrients are broken down into their component parts, such as amino acids, energy is released and made available for the cell to use.)

Question 6

matrilines

Answer 6

Groups that consist of a female, her daughters, and their offspring. Matrilineal groups are common in macaques.

Question 7

life history traits

Answer 7

Characteristics and developmental stages that influence reproductive rates. Examples include longevity, age at sexual maturity, length of time between births, etc.

Question 8

dominance hierarchies

Answer 8

Systems of social organization wherein individuals within a group are ranked relative to one another. Higher-ranking animals have greater access to preferred food items and mating partners than lower-ranking individuals. Dominance hierarchies are sometimes called “pecking orders.”

Question 9

communication

Answer 9

Any action that conveys information, in the form of a message, to another individual. Frequently, the result of communication is a change in the behavior of the recipient. Communication may not be deliberate but may instead be the result of involuntary processes or a secondary consequence of an intentional action.

Question 10

autonomic

Answer 10

Pertaining to physiological responses not under voluntary control. An example in chimpanzees would be the erection of body hair during excitement. Blushing is a human example. Both convey information regarding emotional states, but neither is deliberate, and communication isn’t intended.

Question 11

grooming

Answer 11

Picking through fur to remove dirt, parasites, and other materials that may be present. Social grooming is common among primates and reinforces social relationships.

Question 12

displays

Answer 12

Sequences of repetitious behaviors that serve to communicate emotional states. Nonhuman primate displays are most frequently associated with reproductive or agonistic behavior and examples include chest slapping in gorillas or, in male chimpanzees, dragging and waving branches while charging and threatening other animals.

Question 13

affiliative behaviors

Answer 13

Amicable associations between individuals. Affiliative behaviors, such as grooming, reinforce social bonds and promote group cohesion.

Question 14

intragroup

Answer 14

Within the group as opposed to intergroup (meaning between groups).

Question 15

territories

Answer 15

Portions of an individual’s or group’s home range that are actively defended against intrusion, especially by members of the same species.

Question 16

core area

Answer 16

The portion of a home range containing the highest concentration and most reliable supplies of food and water. The core area is defended.

Question 17

empathy

Answer 17

The ability to identify with the feelings and thoughts of another individual.

Question 18

altruism

Answer 18

Actions that benefit another individual but at some potential risk or cost to oneself.

Question 19

reproductive strategies

Answer 19

Behaviors or behavioral complexes that have been favored by natural selection to increase individual reproductive success. The behaviors need not be deliberate, and they often vary considerably between males and females.

Question 20

K-selected

Answer 20

Pertaining to K-selection, an adaptive strategy whereby individuals produce relatively few offspring, in whom they invest increased parental care. Although only a few infants are born, chances of survival are increased for each one because of parental investments in time and energy. Birds, elephants, and canids (wolves, coyotes, and dogs) are examples of K-selected nonprimate species.

Question 21

r-selected

Answer 21

Pertaining to r-selection, a reproductive strategy that emphasizes relatively large numbers of offspring and reduced parental care compared to K-selected species. K-selection and r-selection are relative terms; e.g., mice are r-selected compared to primates but K-selected compared to insects.

Question 22

sexual selection

Answer 22

A type of natural selection that operates on only one sex within a species. It’s the result of competition for mates, and it can lead to sexual dimorphism with regard to one or more traits.

Question 23

polygynous

Answer 23

Pertaining to polygyny. A mating system in which males, and in some cases females, have several mating partners.

Question 24

polyandry

Answer 24

A mating system wherein a female continuously associates with more than one male (usually two or three) with whom she mates. Among nonhuman primates, polyandry is seen only in marmosets and tamarins. It also occurs in a few human societies.

Question 25

anthropocentric

Answer 25

Viewing nonhuman organisms in terms of human experience and capabilities. Emphasizing the importance of humans over everything else.

Question 26

language

Answer 26

A standardized system of arbitrary vocal sounds, written symbols, and gestures used in communication.

Question 27

biological continuum

Answer 27

Refers to the fact that organisms are related through common ancestry and that behaviors and traits seen in one species are also seen in others to varying degrees. (When expressions of a phenomenon continuously grade into one another so that there are no discrete categories, they are said to exist on a continuum. Color is one such phenomenon.)