Cooperative breeding (Bell miners)

Question 1

Study background

Pacheco at al 2008

Answer 1

• Helpers are often related
• Helpers preen and inspect nest for parasitic fly that can reduce life of young.

Question 2

What did the study show?

Pacheco at al 2008

Answer 2

• Helpers did not increase preening when breeders were removed
• Antiparasitic behaviour represents adaptive investement in the welfare of the brood
• Direct fitness benefits from group augmentation

Question 3

Study by Write et al.2009 showed how helping effort increased with relatedness: notes on this

Answer 3

• Clear evidence for genetic relatedness increasing individual helping effort
• no sex differences were detectable
• adaptive cooperative investment in the brood
• Kin selected care by relatives
• Unrelated individuals show kin selection at the colony level

Question 4

Bell Miners: Antiparasite. Author and date?

Answer 4

Pacheco 2008

Question 5

Bell Miners: Cooperative breeding, Author and date?

Answer 5

Wright 2009