Chapters 1-5 Flashcards
Natural Selection
Living species are the product of an unguided, unconscious process of reproductive competition among their ancestors.
What 3 conditions are necessary for Natural selection to cause evolution
Variation, Differences in reproductive success, Heredity
What is the difference between genes and alleles?
Genes are segments of DNA that typically code for the amino acid sequences of proteins. Alleles are different forms of genes, i.e. an allele for blue eyes.
Eusociality
Species with colonies that contain special nonreproducing castes that work for the reproducing members of the colony
Altruism
Helpful behavior that lowers the helper’s reproductive success while increasing the reproductive success of the individual being helped.
William D. Hamilton’s theory
Kin selection
Haploid vs. Diploid
Haploid is one copy of each gene like gametes. Diploid means having two copies of each gene.
What is the difference between the round dance and waggle dance of honeybees?
Round dance = food within 50 meters of hive. Waggle dance= pollen source more than 50 meters away.
What do the steps of the waggle dance of honeybees mean?
The bees points toward the food source in relation to the sun (if horizontal) or in relation to gravity (if vertical, straight up representing the position of the sun).
What are some different reproductive strategies of Pied Kingfishers?
Primary helper=Provide parents with fish in year 1, 40% chance of mating in year 2. Secondary helper=help unrelated nesting pairs in year 1, 84% chance of breeding in year 2. Delayer=completely sit out 1st breeding season, 29% chance of breeding in year 2.
Difference between facultative and obligate altruism.
Vertebrates sometimes have an optional loss of reproduction vs. Insects
Sensory exploitation
Established sensory systems are hijacked in the evolution of signals
The Panda Principle
The principle of imperfection, because Panda’s ancestors thumbs had modified to run with, it was unavailable to grasp with, so selection acted on variations in their radial sesamoid bones to become thumb-like.
Honest signal
Signal that conveys accurate information about fighting ability or fitness
Illegitimate signalers
deceptive signals that reduce the fitness of the signal receiver.
Pleiotropy
When a gene has more than one effect. I.e. chickens with the frizzle gene have lower body temperatures.
Selfish Herd
Members take advantage of one another
Game theory
The adaptive value of one behavior is dependent on what the other members in the group do
Operant conditioning
Learning by trial and error. Operant=action becomes more frequent if rewarded.
Optimality theory
Attributes in organisms are better than others in the ration of fitness benefits to cost.
Frequency-Dependent Selection
Members of a group with the least common feature are more fit because of their rarity.
According to Hrdy, what is the explanatory hypothesis for why Hanuman Langurs kill infants?
It is a reproductive strategy of usurping males among nonseasonal and flexible female reproductive physiology in which they ovulate soon after the death of her infant.
What are 4 reasons why male Belding’s ground squirrels disperse?
Neurological effects of gonad development, Triggered by the attainment of a minimum body mass, To reduce the likelihood of incest, Male dispersal evolved in many mammalian lineages in general.
What are the 3 key lessons on collective intelligence from bees?
- Open competition of ideas 2. Independence of opinions 3. Aggregating the opinions in a timely way while at the same time exploiting the breadth of knowledge in the group.
What keeps animals like song sparrows from lying?
- Certain developmental conditions must be present early in life fort them to have increased vocal abilities. 2. The use of soft song is so risky (due to the fact that other receivers can’t hear it) that they must mean business.
Describe territoriality disputes among male loons.
Newcomers challenge residents. 30% of encounters end with resident death because they fight to the death and challengers are typically in their prime. New territory owners adopt a yodel vastly different from the old resident.
