key area 3.7 - social behaviour Flashcards
1
Q
social hierarchy
A
- rank order of individuals within a group consisting of dominant and subordinate members
- increased chance of species survival
- increased chance of favourable dominant genes being passed to offspring
- reduced aggression and conflict between group members
- guaranteed experienced leadership
2
Q
cooperative hunting - definition and benefits
A
- group of organisms that work together to kill their prey
- then shared out between the hierarchy
- all members of group will receive food
- more food is gained than hunting alone as more likely to go after larger prey
- greater hunting success
- individual energy output is less
eg wolves, lions and chimps
3
Q
A
4
Q
social defence
A
- some individuals will keep watch for predators while others forage for food
- more likely to detect predators
- some groups will form specialised formations to protect their young
- more difficult for a predator to attack large groups
- overall increases chance of survival
5
Q
altruism
A
- behaviour which involves a donor harming itself in order to benefit the recipient
6
Q
kin selection
A
- behaviour that appears to be altruistic between a donor and recipient that are related
- indirectly benefits the donor by increasing the chances of survival of shared genes in future generations
7
Q
reciprocal altruism
A
- the roles of the donor and recipient are later reversed
- requires members of group to be intelligent
- eg vampire bats
8
Q
social insects
A
insects that live in large groups with complex social behaviours such as
- cooperative care of the young
- food gathering and defence carried out by lots of sterile individuals
- reproduction is carried out by a few fertile individuals
9
Q
caste system
A
- queen - one female produces all the eggs
- workers - sterile females that build the nest, collect food and look after young
- soldiers - sterile females that protect the colony
- drones - many males mate with the queen
10
Q
benefits of insect social behaviour
A
- all the same mother so have lots of genes in common
- display kin selection to help colony survive
11
Q
primates
A
- mammalian group that includes monkeys apes and humans
- they are born in a helpless state and require a long period of parental care where the parents provide food, protection and transport
- allows young primates to learn complex social behaviours such as hunting, foraging and recognising danger
12
Q
appeasement
A
- submissive positions and gestures used to make peace with dominant individuals and reduce conflict
13
Q
alliances
A
- relationship between members of a group which help to increase the social status of an individual
14
Q
dominant
A
- individual which displays threatening behaviours to intimidate other members of the group to show power
- eg raising ears, showing teeth, wide eyes
15
Q
subordinate
A
- an animal ranked below the dominant individual
- shows submissive, appeasement behaviours such as lowering all parts of body, covering teeth and half closing eyes
