Exam 2 Flashcards
kinship altruism
self-sacrifice for relatives to help pass on shared genes
Marmosets alarm their relatives of predators; what is this an example of?
kinship altruism
What challenges the early evolutionary theory of selfishness for personal success?
altriusm because its self-sacrifice for others
What undermines group selection?
cheating behaviors because some may benefit without contributing
What is needed to maintain group selection?
the overall benefit to the group, including the individual, must outweigh the cost
group selection
an evolutionary theory that suggests natural selection operates at the level of the group rather than the individual.
reciprocal altriusm
where individuals help others with the expectation of help in return.
What is free riding?
benefiting from others actions without reciprocating
Where does genetic variation in populations come from?
genetic recombination and sexual reproduction
What is fission? and whats the problem with it?
nonsexual reproduction that involves splitting into 2 individuals. It’s an earlier form of reproduction but lacks the genetic variety of sexual reproduction
What is a correction for mutation?
sexual recombination serves as a correction mechanism
advantages to sexual reproduction
Increased genetic variation in populations.
Corrects accumulated mutations over generations.
Enhances survival through diverse gene pools, especially in
the face of disease and parasitic threats.
what are the disadvantages to sexual reproduction?
Sexual reproduction requires finding a mate, which involves
energy and resources.
Can be limited by environmental or social factors affecting
reproduction.
Scrub jays are a good example of what?
kin altriusm
what percentage of genes are unique among humans?
0.5%
why do cheetahs have low genetic variation?
historical bottlenecks where populations were very small
bottlenecks
Occur when a species population decreases significantly, leading to reduced genetic diversity.
Chimps using logs or stones to break open nuts but never both is an example of what?
cultural transmission
Who is mitochondrial DNA primarily inherited from?
the mother, occasionally you will find paternal mitochondrial DNA in a fertilized egg; it happens very infrequently
Does mitochondrial DNA show more or less variability across generations?
less variability
Who is the woman whom every human is a common ancestor of?
Eve from Africa she is NOT a direct ancestor to all humans
Does mitochondrial DNA work harder in females or males?
females, which is why they tend to live longer than males
Guppies in higher altitudes have how many predators and what size are they?
fewer predators and smaller guppies
Guppies in lower altitudes have how many predators and what size are they?
more predators and larger guppies
Guppies in predator-rich environments produce more or less offspring?
more offspring that are smaller and mature quicker
People who grow up in a difficult environment mature…
quicker, similarly to the guppies who grow up surrounded by predators
what do afferent neurons do?
signals picked up by sensory receptors send signals to the CNS (brain and spinal cord)
what do endocrine glands do?
glands regulate human behavior through hormone secretion.
what does the HPA axis do?
plays a critical role in body functions and behavior regulation.
short-term sensitization
Hormones can temporarily alter sensitivity in the nervous system, influencing behaviors like aggression or defense mechanisms.
Do hormones need external stimuli to trigger behaviors?
no they can do it through releasing, which is the initiation of behavior wihtout external stimuli
What happens when guppies are moved from higher to lower reigons?
They ended up keeping their upper mountain attributes in a single generation; after 5–10 generations, the upper region guppies became more similar to the lower region guppies. Nature and nurture played a role.
sensory receptors
pick up stimulation from an external stimulus
how to endocrine glands transport
Endocrine glands are ductless glands so they use the vascular system for transport
agonist
stimulate the gland or receptor, doesn’t increase the amount of hormone
antagonist
increase or decrease the amount of hormone
priming
short term sensitization of the nervous system (help the animal get ready for an impending stimulus) minutes or hours
how do neurons communicate?
via neurotransmitters (10-100 miliseconds)
primiparous
producing its first offspring
multiparous
already had offspring
what happens to male testosterone levels after they mate?
they decrease, making them more likely to help raise the young
which is faster electrochemical signals or hormonal signals
Neurons transmit electrochemical signals, which are faster
(milliseconds) compared to hormonal signals, which take longer (seconds to minutes). electrochemical also occurs over longer distances compared to neurotransmitter transmission
what is crop milk?
Ring doves feed it to their young. viscous fluid produced in the esophagus and regurgitated to feed the young.
What happens to ring dove courtship and reproduction when there is a disruption in sequence?
Disruption in the sequence (e.g., removing nesting material) stops
courtship and reproduction but can resume if stimuli are restored
quickly.
males with higher testosterone levels are more likely to
Stay with the first female, and they are less likely to seek other females, and they exhibit more involvement in raising young ex: ring tailed lemurs
Where is testosterone produced?
primarily produced in the testicles but is also produced in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands.
In both genders, what is testosterone linked to?
aggression, risk-taking, and caregiving.
describe the observers of competitive athletic events and their testosterone levels
Testosterone levels increase in males during competitive athletic
Events and observers, especially in competitive environments, also experience elevated testosterone levels.
hypothalamus
at the bottom of the brain (it is a combination of neural and endocrine systems)
pituitary gland
below the hypothalamus important regulatory role (aka: master gland), hormones travel through the blood to the adrenal gland
adrenal gland
plays an important role in what we do and how our body functions
