Comm & Cooperation

Question 1

communication

Answer 1

(ecology) any process in which a signal from one individual modifies behavior of another individual
(ie) honeybee dance

Question 2

signal

Answer 2

(behavioral ecology) any info containing behavior or characteristic

Question 3

altruism

Answer 3

any behavior w/ fitness cost to giver & fitness benefit to recipient

• self-sacrifice
• paradoxical: natural selection favors selfishness
• may be voluntary or not

(ie) prairie dog calling

Question 4

coefficient of relatedness (r)

Answer 4

measure of how closely two individuals are related

- calculated as probability that an allele in two individuals = inherited from same ancestor

Question 5

Hamilton’s rule

Answer 5

altruism favored by NS if fitness benefit x fitness cost > coefficient of relatedness

Br > C

Question 6

fitness benefit to recipient

Answer 6

B in Hamilton’s rule

Question 7

fitness cost to actor

Answer 7

C in Hamilton’s rule

Question 8

inclusive fitness

Answer 8

1) direct production of offspring & fitness
2) extra production of offspring by relatives in response to help provided individual in question

indirect fitness + direct fitness = inclusive fitness

• indirect = altruism
• direct = parental care

Question 9

kin selection

Answer 9

NS that acts through benefits to relatives via altruism

< direct fitness + > indirect fitness = > inclusive fitness

Question 10

eusociality

Answer 10

workers sacrifice most or all of direct reproduction to help rear queen’s offspring

• complex social structure
• common in insects (ants, bees, wasps, termites)

Question 11

reciprocal altruism

Answer 11

fitness benefits exchanged btwn a pair of individuals @ diff. times
- help individual who helped them b4

Question 12

deceitful communication

Answer 12

misleading signal to another individual
- could be same or diff. species

(ie) diff = hognose snake pretend to die
(ie) diff = opossum pretend to die
(ie) same = bluefill sunfish - female mimics dispense sperm in otro male territory & run away

Question 13

when is altruism more likely to occur

Answer 13

(1) high fitness benefits for recipient
(2) altruist + recipient = close relatives
(3) low fitness cost to altruist

Question 14

benefits of assisting others

Answer 14

(1) hunting in pacts = more likely to kill prey

(2) less harassment if in cliques