Lecture 4: Development & Life Stages Flashcards
What is JS?
Juvenile hormone. A growth hormone in insects.
What is parent-offspring conflict?
It’s in a parents interest to have as many offspring as possible however infants will get more resources from being an only child.
Why do some organisms play?
- Improve motor skills and cerebellum development
- Shed excess calories
- Increase rate of learning
- Learn and understand social group systems
- Reduces stress with results which can last to adulthood.
Why in the animal kingdom do females primarily parental care?
Large initial investment and uncertainty of paternity means its more costly for males to provide care.
Why would males provide parental care?
External fertilisation in fish and amphibians increased likelihood of known paternity.
Why is there often bi-parental care in birds?
Parents have to work constantly to keep their young fed. It’s worth males taking the risk that they have paternity because otherwise they may gain no fitness through their partner.
What are the theories for the evolution of senescence?
- Disposable stoma theory
- Antagonistic pleiotropy theory,
What is the disposable stoma theory?
When an organism is young, their bodies should maintain themselves well because there is high chance of future reproduction. As they age their chances decrease, so they should stop putting energy into their maintenance as start to put it towards current reproduction.
What is the antagonistic pleiotropy theory?
Adaptions with early life advantages often produce disadvantages in later life.
