Midterm 1

Question 1

Species

Answer 1

Individuals that are capable of interbreeding and producing viable, fertile offspring

Question 2

Comparative genomics

Answer 2

Studies that compare the genome sequence of different species to better understand the structural and functional similarities and differences in their genes and the evolutionary relationships among species

Question 3

Hierarchy

Answer 3

A pecking order, usually established through direct contests

Question 4

Agonist

Answer 4

Aggressive or submissive interactions between females and males

Question 5

Egalitarian

Answer 5

The absence of hierarchy, or pecking order; access to resources is more likely to be determined by who gets to them first than by any other attributes of individuals

Question 6

Natal group

Answer 6

The group into which an individual is born

Question 7

Affiliative bonds

Answer 7

Strong associations among individuals, usually manifested by higher rates of proximity and nonaggressive social interactions

Question 8

Patrilines

Answer 8

Related to one another through paternal descent

Question 9

Phylogeny

Answer 9

Evolutionary relationships of species go one another

Question 10

Ultimate

Answer 10

The adaptive significance of a trait

Question 11

Function

Answer 11

The purpose a trait serves in increasing an individual’s fitness

Question 12

Proximate

Answer 12

The neural and physiological mechanisms that regulate behaviour (what)

Question 13

Ontogenetic

Answer 13

The processes and mechanisms involved in development (when)

Question 14

Ethnographic

Answer 14

An approach that involves the description of cultures, human, or otherwise

Question 15

Habituated

Answer 15

The point at which animals cease to alter their behaviour in the presence of human observers

Question 16

Ethograms

Answer 16

The repertory of behaviours exhibited by a species

Question 17

Grooming

Answer 17

The removal of dirt or other objects from the skin or fur, which may be performed by another individual (allogrooming) or by one’s self; allogrooming is considered to be a social activity

Question 18

Social system

Answer 18

• the set of conspecific animals that interact regularly and more so with each other than with members of other social units
  (Solitary, pair bonded, UM- MF etc)

Question 19

Mating unit or mating system

Answer 19

The individuals that mate within a social unit

- monogamous, polygamous, polyandrous, polygynous

Question 20

Social structure

Answer 20

• the pattern of social interactions and resulting relationships within the social unit
• sociogram
• matrilineal patrilineal

Question 21

Social organization

Answer 21

The size, sexual composition, and spatiotemporal cohesion of a social unit

• group size, operational sex ratio, cohesive fusion fusion, or neighbourhoods
• multi- level societies

Question 22

Why operational sex ratios varies in a group:

Answer 22

1) age at which males reach sexual maturity
2) time individuals spend outside a reproductive unit: male transfer sometimes involved time being solitary or in all- male groups
3) male- male competition leads to higher male mortality

Question 23

Extra group compilations

Answer 23

• females in pair bonded, uni and multi male groups mate with extra group males leading to extra group paternities if some offspring

Question 24

Cohesive groups

Answer 24

Stay together all the time

• animals feed: forage together
• no change in group membership to sleep or throughout the day
• do not form larger mega- groups or communities

Question 25

Multi- level societies

Answer 25

• one male units and all male bands

- late groupings at sleep sites common

Question 26

Fission- fusion groups

Answer 26

• fluid structure
• animals feed/ forage in “parties” of differing composition or alone
• group often fuse to sleep
• largest group unit is called a community