group living and social behaviour

Question 1

loners

Answer 1

highly territorial

Question 2

pack animals

Answer 2

social, complex

Question 3

3 types of social behaivours

Answer 3

loners, pack animals, herding animals

Question 4

if they live in groups then

Answer 4

the benefits must outweigh the costs

Question 5

some benefits of group living

Answer 5

improved foraging, reproductive assistance, reduced chance of predation

Question 6

costs of group living

Answer 6

increased visibility, competition, disease contraction

Question 7

the predator prey evolution leads to

Answer 7

an arms race; one is trying to out-do the other through evolution

both predator and prey are getting bigger; one way to get over this is co-operatively hunt

Question 8

hunting techniques require

Answer 8

group cooperation
ex relay running, ambushing, death stare

Question 9

ungulates live in herds, why

Answer 9

for protection (cooperation) and to reduce changes of being selected (selfish) or to outrun predators

Question 10

kin selection

Answer 10

an animal behaves in ways that adds fitness to its close relatives; its genes are passed on

Question 11

group selection

Answer 11

animals within the group behave for the good of the species; individuals behave (even if its costly) to ensure the group survives, so that the individual survives
- ex swooping birds

Question 12

reciprocal altrusim

Answer 12

animal will trade aid in the present for aid in the future

Question 13

selfish teamwork

Answer 13

cooperate in short term even though they have competing interests (herding)

Question 14

stolen help

Answer 14

deceitful behaviour in which one gains and other pay
ex gulls stealing food

balance of costs (stolen food) and benefits (eavesdropping)

Question 15

kleptomania

Answer 15

stealing of another group member’s food morsel

Question 16

does true altruism exist

Answer 16

no?

Question 17

wild horse

Answer 17

harem social system; dominant stallion with mares, not territorial
- stallions gain reproduction
- mares gain protection

Question 18

selfish herds

Answer 18

want to be in middle; compete for positions that maximizes value gained from being in group

Question 19

dilution effect

Answer 19

group size large so risk of being victim for any animal is diluted; however had limits due to food supply, increased visibility, reproductive success

Question 20

linear hierarchy

Answer 20

each animal is dominated by higher ranking group members and, in turn, dominates lower ranking members

Question 21

other types of dominance hierarchies

Answer 21

linear, triangular, complex

Question 22

benefits of being highly ranked

Answer 22

• preferred access to food, mating, grooming, protected positions
• lower cost to group membership compared to lower ranks

Question 23

costs of being highly ranked

Answer 23

• group leader on the move, riskier position
• eventually will be out ranked
• loss of mating opportunities due to sneaky/ satellite males
• may not dominate all resources
• physically and cognitively taxing

Question 24

do dogs assert dominance

Answer 24

no