Quiz 4

Question 1

Hormones

Answer 1

Biochemical regulators that affect physiology and behavior. Typically secreted by endocrine glands (ovaries, testes, adrenal, etc.) Constantly secreted into the bloodstream, where they travel to target tissue.
Consist of Estrogens (female sex hormones) and Androgens (male sex hormones), though both sexes carry some level of each.

Question 2

Pheromones

Answer 2

Endogenous substances produced by exocrine glands within the body (sweat, salivary, mammary, and gastrointestinal glands) that can communicate information about sexual attraction, information about what sex you are, and can even trigger aggression.

Question 3

Testosterone levels in male & female bonobos

Answer 3

Male bonobos have lower T levels than male common chimps and as a result exhibit low levels of aggression.
Females have T levels similar to female common chimps. Females can be more egalitarian with their males because of the males’ low levels of aggression.

Question 4

What is the relationship between prolactin and testosterone?

Answer 4

In species where the father has a role in caring for its offspring, when a male becomes a father his prolactin levels increase and his testosterone levels decrease. He is hormonally primed to nurture.

Question 5

Sympatric

Answer 5

Found in the same ecological area

Question 6

Niche Divergence

Answer 6

When two primate species have diverging preferences for food, sleep sites, active hours, etc.

Question 7

What is the relationship between predators and prey regarding their brain size?

Answer 7

Predators prefer small-brained prey since they are easy to catch and unlikely to effectively alter their behavior in response to predator encounters.

Question 8

What are the two types of self medication that primates have been observed to use in the wild? Give an example of each.

Answer 8

Therapeutic: using something as a cure (ex: chimps eating the pith of Vernonia to cure intestinal parasites and Aspilia, a rough-surfaced leaf to physically dislodge the parasites)

Prophylactic: using something as a preventative measure (ex: mountain gorillas in Uganda use a cyanogenic fern as a nesting material, since it works as a built in insect repellant)

Question 9

Testosterone levels in male & female common chimps

Answer 9

Male chimps showed an increase in T (and male-male aggression) in the company of estrous females. High-ranking males had higher T than low-ranking males.

Females had relatively low T levels.