Intraspecific Relationships

Question 1

Aggressive

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Agonistic

Answer 2

A threat display by an individual defending a resource and attempting to avoid harmful conflict

Question 3

Alpha/beta

Answer 3

Designates hierarchy member’ status - alphas are the dominant male or female. Next down may be one or more beta individuals

Question 4

Cooperative interactions

Answer 4

Interaction in which an individual , called an altruist, increases the chances of survival of other individuals due to its sacrificial behaviour

Question 5

Courtship

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Dominance

Answer 6

Occurs when an individual within a group enforces their place in a hierarchy, often using agonistic behaviours

Question 7

Hierarchy

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

Home range

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Intraspecific

Answer 9

Interactions between members of the same species.

Question 10

Kin selection

Answer 10

Altruistic behaviour towards closely related individuals that share some of the same genes

Question 11

Monogamy

Answer 11

A mating system where one male and one female form an exclusive social pair bond

Question 12

Parental care

Answer 12

Behaviours displayed by parents in the raising of offspring including feeding, defending from predation and teaching behaviours necessary for survival

Question 13

Reproductive effort

Answer 13

Time and energy expended in finding a mate and successfully reproducing

Question 14

Sexual dimorphism

Answer 14

Male and female members of species show differeny body appendages, size and or colourations. Particularly common in birds.

Question 15

Submissive

Answer 15

Animal behaviour in which an individual attempts through appeasement displays to avoid injury by a dominant member of its grouo

Question 16

Territory

Answer 16

The area actively defended from intrusion by members of the same species and occasionally from animals of other species

Question 17

Intraspecific competition

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

How does Intraspecific competition impact population size?

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

What are advantages of living in a cooperative group?

Answer 19

• Protection from physical environment
• Detection of threats
• Defence
• Role specialisation
• Foraging/hunting capability
• Availability of mates

Question 20

Disadvantages of living in a cooperative group

Answer 20

• Competition
• Disease

Question 21

Benefits of dominance

Answer 21

• 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

Question 22

Costs of dominance

Answer 22

• Higher metabolic rates
• Higher levels of stress hormones
• Need to consume more food in order to maintain fitness and activity levels

Question 23

Territorial behaviour

Answer 23

The actions used to establish and maintain that territory against others of the same species

Question 24

K-strategist

Answer 24

Strategy that emphasises a slow population growth rate by producing fewer offspring that reach sexual maturity slowly in order to better exploit stable environments.

Question 25

Outcomes of K-strategist

Answer 25

• Few offspring produced
• Longer lifespan
• High survival rate of offspring
• Slow population growth rate
• Lengthy parental care

Question 26

r-strategist

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

Outcome of r-strategist

Answer 27

• Short lifespan
• Many offspring
• Low survival rate
• Short parental care
• Fast population growth rate

Question 28

Monogamy

Answer 28

Monogamy is a mating system in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime or at any time.

Question 29

Polygyny

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Polygynandry

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Polyandry

Answer 31

Polyandry is a class of mating system where one female mates with several males in a breeding season.

Question 32

Parental care

Answer 32

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