Reproductive Animal Strategies Flashcards
What is the goal of each species?
REPRODUCTIVE EFFORT : produce the maximum number of surviving offspring while using the least amount of energy
Courtship
- behavior designed to attract another animal for mating and breeding
Simple - chemical
- visual
- auditory stimuli
Complex - males who are larger, more elaborate physical features & display more courtship energy
MAXIMISE REPRODUCTION - ensures males & females find suitable mates
- times sexual behavior
- energy expenditure by male
External fertilization
Takes place in water & occurs in most aquatic vertebrates
Not ideal - wasteful and uncertain
MAXIMIZE REPRODUCTION
- huge numbers of eggs and sperm
- swim side-by-side = ensures gametes are close together
Internal fertilization
- occurs in terrestrial vertebrates
- male gamete released into female body
- birds & reptiles - cloaca (single opening in lower abdomen)
- mammals - penis
MAX REPRODUCTION - more certain
Ovipary, ovovivipary & vivipary
The moment at which future offspring separates from a parent
- strategies indicate where embryo develops & how it’s nourished
Ovipary
- eggs develop outside parent
- externally or internally fertilized
- egg yolk is their only food
MAX REPRODUCTION (water) - eggs released into water - enormous amount released = ensures survival of species
MAX REPRODUCTION (land) - few eggs produced = saves energy
- she’ll protects embryo
Ovovivipary
- eggs fertilized internally
- kept inside body until they hatch = born live
MAX REPRODUCTION - fewer eggs produced
- developing embryo - less vulnerable
- young born fully developed- own food & escape predators
Vivipary
- internal fertilization
- eggs do not have a shell - egg forms an embryo & the a foetus
- nourishment from mom through placenta
MAX REPRODUCTION - low energy expenditure for:
= nourish & protect embryo & foetus
= provide parental care after young are born
Amniotic egg
Early vertebrates : eggs in water - no shell - live near water
Later vertebrates : eggs in terrestrial environment/ retained in body
MAX REPRODUCTION
- fluid-filled amnion surrounds & protects embryo
- yolk sac = nutritious food for embryos development
- chorion = allows gaseous exchange & forms placenta
Precocial development
- hatch/born when almost fully developed
- energy expenditure in pre-natal development = less involved after birth
- once born : open eyes, hair/fur, large brains, immediately active/mobile
MAX REPRODUCTION - feed themselves
- hide from predators
Altricial Development
- born/hatch not well developed
- parental energy - post-natal development
- once born - naked, cannot walk/fly, closed eyes, rely on parents
MAX REPRODUCTION - less energy pre-natal development = more for post
- reach reproductive age early
- safer from predation
K-strategy
- few offspring
- high level of parental care
- climax species (produce more offspring than environment can hold)
R-strategy
- numerous eggs
- no parental care = few eggs/offspring survive