EXAM 3 3/20 Flashcards
what kind of transmission affects sexual selection
horizontal influences what individuals are seen as more attractive
what are costs to imitation
such as receiving fewer resources from the male who already has multiple mates.
who is more selective males or females
females
behavioral plasticity
refers to the ability of animals to adapt to various behavioral challenges, sometimes considered a human trait but observed across species.
How is behavioral plasticity measured?
behavioral flexibility
what size brain shows greater behavioral flexibility
larger brain, bipedalism,
what is the hypothesis of having a larger brain
need for large social groups and aiding in social interactions, as well as diet carnivores need to know how to hunt, larger neurons which impact cognitive abilities
is behavioral flexibility solely linked to brain size
no, also influenced by the environment
explain birds neurons
they have smaller neurons but a larger number of them
do larger brains always indicate higher intelligence
no some animals with large brains like whales are stupid
garrisons theory on brain function
The brain processes both external information (through senses) and internal information (via the central nervous system). Internal information processing is handled largely by nerves outside the central nervous system.
sexual dimorphism
a distinct difference in size or appearance between the sexes of an animal in addition to a difference between the sexual organs themselves.
Males are larger than females, so are they more intelligent?
Despite smaller brains and body size, behavioral tests reveal that females perform similarly in behavior tasks.
Which species show greater behavioral plasticity
mammals and birds
frogs have small brains but high what
display a high level of neuroplasticity in specific tasks like catching prey.
do all animals rely on numerous sensory modalities
no, some depend on a single one like frogs and others depend on multiple sensory modalities
how much of the bodys mass is neurons
1% and 1/50th is our neural tissue
how much of the bodys energy is used by the brain
20-25% a larger brain requires more energy than a smaller one
why do some animals benefit from a smaller brain
antelopes have a smaller brain because they are safer from predators this preserves energy
what size brain produces more heat
larger, preventing overheating requires more energy
why do whales have a smaller brain than humans
because a larger brain would prevent them from functioning optimally, they also have heat regulation systems which could limit their cognitive capabilities
do all species need to survive to increase reproductive success
no spiders beetles and salmon die so their offspring can live on
intrasexual competition
within sex competition. males with males and females with females
direct intrasexual competition
physical fights for mates
indirect intrasexual competition
competing for resources like food or territory
what is agonistic behavior in intrasexual selection
aggressive interactions and displays between members of the same sex, often used to establish dominance, defend territories, or compete for resources or mates it is non lethal competition and there is no fighting this conserves energy and reduces injury risk
the sex that invests less in offspring tends to be (smaller or larger)
larger
what happens to the size of the female when males provide more parental investment
the females can be larger
do all species that live in groups have behavioral plasticity
No, antelopes don’t.
Are neurons the same size in all species?
no but they are similar
what do birds have that make them lighter
hollow bones
what is an endocast
Tells us about the brain size of species that have gone extinct
Doesnt work on invertebrates because the brain cavity is not entirely filled with neurons
Does work on vertebrates
do warm blooded animals or poiklotherms have greater plasticity
warm blooded because they depend on multiple modalities
what do humans have that helps with overheating
a portal vein (blood vessel that goes through the brain and takes the heat away)
why do some species not have a portal vein
Phylogenetic inertia. Selection can’t work until it happens by chance: a cooling mechanism never arose, so natural selection couldn’t choose it.
