Lecture 17

Question 1

When does conflict arise and what are the two types?

Answer 1

Conflict arises when the benefits and costs of two different individuals are valued differently

Types: parent-offspring and parent-parent

Question 2

What benefits/costs does the offspring maximize?

Answer 2

B(p) - 1/2C(p)

Because siblings are genetically related by R = 1/2 p

Question 3

What benefits/costs should parents maximize?

Answer 3

1/2B(p) - 1/2C(p)

All offspring are genetically related to the parent by R = 1/2

Question 4

What was the conclusion to the stictchbird provisioning study where the offspring and parents were supplemented and provisioning was observed to measure conflict resolution?

Answer 4

Provisioning rate shows plasticity as control parents will provision more to supplemented offspring but supplemented parents will not

Question 5

When does parental care occur?

Answer 5

When the benefit of deserting is low and the the cost of setting is high (for both males and females)

Question 6

What was the method to the Kentish turkey study to determine male dominate care?

Answer 6

Performed 2 experiments:

• released one parent and measured how quickly they remated
• manipulated the number of parents present

Results:

• females remated more quickly
• male absence more drastically affected brood survival

Conclusion: male care dominates

Question 7

What is the method to determining when a female turkey may allocate more care to her brood?

Answer 7

Performed two experiments:

• observed when females spent more time caring for brood during the breeding season
• removed/added eggs to broods

Results:

• females spent more time w their brood when the breeding season was ending
• females in the early season were more compelled to stay if their brood size was large

Conclusion: balance of costs and benefits changes under circumstance