Plasticity

Question 1

Red eye tree frog

Answer 1

Tadpoles can spontaneously hatch when attached by snake/wasp

Assumed to have major consequences for not completing norm 21 day development

Developmental plasticity

Question 2

Examples of niche construction

Answer 2

Beaver dams
Devils gardens
Green plants on atmosphere?
Parental care?

Question 3

Parental care

Answer 3

Behavioural polyphenism

Cocoa island finch

Genetically indistinguishable as single pop

Display all feeding behaviours of mainland birds

Exploit wide range of foods

Question 4

Abiotic factors

Answer 4

Seasonal polyphenism

Squinting bush brown butterflies

Born and develop on high humidities= wet season morphs

Low humidities= dry season morph

Different behaviours, food sources, wing markings

Dry lack most eyespots of wet

Question 5

Social environment

Answer 5

Density dependent phase polyphenism

Solitary locusts (green/cryptic) thought to be different species

Gregarious (black/ aposematic from stored atropine)

Can switch between morphs, behaviour faster than morphology

Hairs on femur of hind leg: stroking can induce change as indicates presence of others

Question 6

Nutrition

Answer 6

Rhinoceros beetle

Highly nourished= large horn (massive growth, little in wings, v little in genitals)

Holometabolous larvae: imaginal Diana grow in relation to nutrition

RNAi: blocks production of insulin receptors= smaller horns

Insulin receptor= nutrition sensor

Nutrition has bigger effect on structures more steeply scales with body size