Optimality

Question 1

What is optimality?

Answer 1

Theory that describes how traits are optimal, they generate the most profitable ratio of fitness benefits to fitness costs. Tries to understand how animals have evolved by simplifying problems into quantitative costs and benefits.

Question 2

What is Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) and what are its assumptions?

Answer 2

Animals choose the habitat that maximises their fitness. It assumes:
1) Animals have complete information about availability of resources
2) Animals are free to go where they will do best
3) All individuals have equal fitness

Question 3

What are the benefits of living in a group?

Answer 3

Anti-predation
Inter-specific competition
Thermal advantage
Mobility advantage
Information and foraging efficiency

Question 4

What are the costs of living in a group?

Answer 4

Competition
Interference
Cuckoldry
Cannibalism/infanticide
Parasites and disease

Question 5

What is Marginal Value Theorem (MVT)?

Answer 5

An animal exploits resources in a patch and returns diminish over time (asymptotic gain curve). There is a cost in getting to/from a patch. How much time should an animal spend to get the most food out of a resource?

Question 6

What is the MVT equation?

Answer 6

R = E (Ts) / Tt + Ts

where,
R = Rate
E = Food
Ts = Time spent searching
Tt = Time spent travelling