Lecture 3- Parental Investment Flashcards
What is fitness?
The degree to which an individuals genes are present in the next generation
What are the two key components of fitness?
Direct and indirect fitness
What is direct fitness?
The degree to which an individuals genes are present in the next generation as a consequence of breeding by the individuals concerned
What is indirect fitness?
The degree to which an individuals genes are present in the next generation as a consequence of assisting in the breeding of related individuals
What is inclusive fitness?
An individuals total fitness
What does inclusive fitness equal?
Indirect fitness + direct fitness
What is an approximate measure of inclusive fitness?
Lifetime reproductive success (LRS)
What is natural selection?
The process by which favourable heritable traits accumulate in a population due to differential reproduction of genotypes
What is sexual selection?
The process by which favourable heritable traits that increase ability to secure or attract mates accumulate in a population
What is intra sexual selection?
Male-male competition (ability of males to compete with each other directly)
What is inter sexual selection?
Female choice (concerned mainly with attractiveness of males to females)
What is kin selection?
Process by which favorable heritable traits aimed at assisting related individuals accumulate in a population
What is an alloparent?
An animal exhibiting parent-like behaviour to a juvenile of a related individual
What is alloparental care?
Parent-like behaviours undertaken by a non parent animal
3 examples of alloparental care?
Allosucking, provisioning, babysitting
What is altruism/reciprocity/reciprocal altruism?
The process which favourable heritable traits aimed at assisting unrelated individuals accumulate in a population
What are evolutionary stable strategies?
Strategy that cannot be invaded by another strategy
What does breeding lower?
Longetivity
What is semelparity?
Single act of reproduction during lifetime
What is iteroparity?
More than one act of reproduction during lifetime
What is reproductive senescene?
Reproductive output declines with age
What is polygyny?
Males mate with more than one female but each female mates with only one male
What is polyandry?
Females mate with more than one male but each male mates with only female
What is polygynandry?
Males mate with more than one female and each female mates with more than male
What are the benefits of multiple mating from a male perspective?
Increased number of young produced and decrease likelihood of genetic incompatibility with female partners
What are the benefits of multiple mating from a female perspective?
Decrease genetic incompatibility, obtain genetic benefits, increased likelihood of conceiving, confuse males
Why is confusing males a benefit of multiple mating from a female perspective?
Receive paternal care, reduce risk of infanticide
Possible benefits of infanticide to males?
Nutritional benefits, increase reproductive opportunities, prevent misallocating paternal care
Costs of multiple mating?
Increased risk of STIS’s, spread of other contact mediated infections, mating related injuries, sperm competition
What are the counter strategies used by males to counter female multiple mating strategies (7)?
Mate guarding, increase frequency of mating, post-copulatory lock, mating plugs, increased testes size, sperm morphology, male behaviour
How can females bias production of young?
Infanticide, in utero mortality
