foundation Flashcards
why are leaf cutter ants a model system in organismal biology?
Fungus cultivation (planting, fertilizing, harvesting)
Most advanced insect farmers
Evolutionary tradeoffs with crop domestication
Most attire species cultivate several cultivars
Cultivars have been domesticated over millions of years
Mechanistic understanding of nutritional adaptation
What is Tinbergen known for?
Survival value of behaviour
what is williams known for
the first synthesis
what is hamilton known for?
evolutionary roots of social behaviour
what are some other major further advances?
evolutionary stable strategies (ESS) - j. m. smith
reproductive/sexual conflict - trivers
what are tinbergen’s for complementary questions
(kinds of question) proximate or evolutionary
(objects of explanation) developmental/historical or single form
what are the requirements for natural selection to act
traits vary
reproduction is differential
traits are (at least to some extent) hereditary
what does natural selection work on
the phenotype of the individual
what is the selfish gene lens
individuals are temporary vehicles by which genes survive and replicate
successful genes will usually be those that best enhance survival and reproductive success
why does group selection not work
nothing will stop individuals from pursuing own selfish interests
what is the key to clutch size optimization
tradeoffs between current and future (+ survival) reproduction
why are there differences in british and dutch tit populations climate change responses
earlier breeding arisen through phenotypic plasticity with no need for any genetic change (supported by data)
