Lecture 8

Question 1

4 Points of Darwin’s Model

Observations:

Answer 1

1. High fertility and exponential growth
2. Population size stays stable
3. Limited Resources
4. All Individuals Differ

Question 2

4 Points of Darwin’s Model

Inferences:

Answer 2

Competition for resources and variation in competitive ability heritable

Question 3

Gene Selection

Answer 3

The gene is the unit of selection. Individuals are ‘Vehicles’ that allow genes to replicate themselves.
Certain genes thrive because their vehicles make more genes replicants.

Question 4

Adaptation

Answer 4

A trait that enhances fitness and is favoured by selection. By products and noise.

Question 5

Co-evolution

Answer 5

Mutualistic. Eg: Fruits changing colours to indicate ripeness and the ability to distinguish colours by sight.

Question 6

Antagonistic Co-evolution.

Eg, Red Queen Hypothesis

Answer 6

Organisms must constantly adapt and evolve not merely to gain reproductive advantage but to simply survive while pitted against ever-evolving opposing organisms in an ever-changing environment.

Question 7

Sexual Selection

Answer 7

Traits that solely enhance mating success relative to same sex individuals.

Question 8

Inter-sexual Selection

Answer 8

Mate choice. Competing to be chosen as a mate. Female choice for direct benefits such as territory, protection and investment.

Question 9

Intra-sexual Selection

Answer 9

Competition between members of the same sex for access to mates.

Question 10

Fisher’s ‘Sexy Sons’

Answer 10

Female preference for traits that they find attractive so that if they have sons they will have traits that females will also find desirable and are therefore more likely to have reproductive success.

Question 11

Sexual Coercion

Answer 11

‘The use of force or threat, by a male towards a female that increases the likelihood that she will mate with that male rather than another at some cost to herself’ (Smuts and Smuts, 1993)