Intraspecific Relationships Flashcards
Aggressive
The stalking and killing of other species, aggression directed at members of the same species to establishing dominance, or attacks delivered when an animal is cornered or approached by another animal.
Aggressive behaviour can lead to injury and possibly death.
Agonistic
A threat display by an individual defending a resource and attempting to avoid harmful conflict
Alpha/beta
Designates hierarchy member’ status - alphas are the dominant male or female. Next down may be one or more beta individuals
Cooperative interactions
Interaction in which an individual , called an altruist, increases the chances of survival of other individuals due to its sacrificial behaviour
Courtship
Ritualised displays used to attract a mate and which may eventually lead to mating and reproduction. Sometimes used to reinforce a pair-bond.
- Male species usually initiates
Dominance
Occurs when an individual within a group enforces their place in a hierarchy, often using agonistic behaviours
Hierarchy
A type of intraspecific interaction where a group has individuals that are dominant or submissive to other members of the group.
Usually arise when members of a social group repeatedly interact which leads to the creation of a social order. The order is maintained by ritualised activities such as grooming, threats, displays, vocalisations. Subject to change if a dominant animal is successfully challenged by a subordinate one. Such challenges are often very aggressive as both individuals fight to either maintain their position or improve it.
Home range
The area in which an animal lives and moves around in. Related to the concept of ‘territory’ which is the area that is actively defended
Intraspecific
Interactions between members of the same species.
Kin selection
Altruistic behaviour towards closely related individuals that share some of the same genes
Monogamy
A mating system where one male and one female form an exclusive social pair bond
Parental care
Behaviours displayed by parents in the raising of offspring including feeding, defending from predation and teaching behaviours necessary for survival
Reproductive effort
Time and energy expended in finding a mate and successfully reproducing
Sexual dimorphism
Male and female members of species show differeny body appendages, size and or colourations. Particularly common in birds.
Submissive
Animal behaviour in which an individual attempts through appeasement displays to avoid injury by a dominant member of its grouo
Territory
The area actively defended from intrusion by members of the same species and occasionally from animals of other species
Intraspecific competition
Competition between members of the same species occurs because they have the same niche and so compete for exactly the same resources. Tends to be more intense that interspecific competition.
How does Intraspecific competition impact population size?
Intraspecific competition tends to have a stabilising influence on population size. If the population gets too big, intrapsecific competition increases. If the population gets too small, intraspecific competition decreases.
Therefore, it is density-dependent.
Overall negative effect on populations as it leads to increased aggression between members of that population and physiological stress in individuals.
What are advantages of living in a cooperative group?
- Protection from physical environment
- Detection of threats
- Defence
- Role specialisation
- Foraging/hunting capability
- Availability of mates
Disadvantages of living in a cooperative group
- Competition
- Disease
Benefits of dominance
- First access to prey and can feed for longer without being interrupted
- Spend less time foraging/hunting, reduces risk of predation
- increased chance of survival
- Males have higher reproductive success
- Females produce more surviving offspring
- Offspring have better biological fitness
Costs of dominance
- Higher metabolic rates
- Higher levels of stress hormones
- Need to consume more food in order to maintain fitness and activity levels
Territorial behaviour
The actions used to establish and maintain that territory against others of the same species
K-strategist
Strategy that emphasises a slow population growth rate by producing fewer offspring that reach sexual maturity slowly in order to better exploit stable environments.
Outcomes of K-strategist
- Few offspring produced
- Longer lifespan
- High survival rate of offspring
- Slow population growth rate
- Lengthy parental care
r-strategist
Places an emphasis on a high population growth rate, by producing numerous offspring that reach sexual maturity quickly in order to exploit less crowded or unstable environments.
Outcome of r-strategist
- Short lifespan
- Many offspring
- Low survival rate
- Short parental care
- Fast population growth rate
Monogamy
Monogamy is a mating system in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime or at any time.
Polygyny
Polygyny is a mating system in which a male mates with multiple females, but each female only mates with a single mate.
- Females provide majority of parental care, male free to seek further mates
- Increased reproductive success
- Reduced genetic diversity
Polygynandry
Polygynandry occurs when multiple males mate with multiple females
- Greater genetic diversity
- Less need for males to compete with each other
- greater protection and care of the young from the group
Polyandry
Polyandry is a class of mating system where one female mates with several males in a breeding season.
Parental care
Any investment of time and energy in the raising of offspring, often to the detriment of the parent as the investment of time and energy means the parent has a decreased ability to invest in their own fitness.
- Aim is to pass genes to reproductively successful offspring
