Sexual Behaviour and Reproduction Flashcards
What is the purpose of mate competition?
To drive away rivals, includes sexual dimorphism and weapons
What adaptations does mate choice tend to drive?
Ornaments and complex courtship displays
What is Bateman’s principle?
That the reproductive success of females is limited to the availability of resources
What are the 6 methods of parental investment?
- Nutrients in gametes
- Gestation
- Lactation
- Direct provisioning
- Defense against predators
- Inheritance of territory
What are the direct benefits of mate choice?
- Avoidance of infected partners (e.g stickleback fish)
- Good resources
- Provisioning/defense of offspring
What are the indirect benefits of mate choice?
Provide good genes for offspring
What is the ‘sexy sons’ theory ?
Fischer
- Displays selected to be sexually attractive
- ‘sexy’ fathers produce ‘sexy’ sons
What is the handicap principle?
Zahavi 1975
- Only successful individuals can afford costly traits
What 3 cognitive processes need to be carried out for mate selection?
- Locate mate
- Recognise species
- Asses mate quality
What 4 mechanisms can an animal use to locate a mate?
- Visual cues
- Auditory cues
- Olefactory cues
- Electrical cues (some fish)
What 3 characteristics can be used to encode mate quality?
- Preference for novel traits
- The copying of other’s mate choices
- Presence of supernormal traits
What 3 developmental processes can affect mate choice?
- Genetic pre-determined sensory biases
- Sexual imprinting
- Learned mate preference
What mental processes are needed for mate decision making?
Acquisition, processing, retention and usage of information as well as integrating information of potential mates and external cues (some correlation with brain mass shown)
What preference is shown in gupys?
For males with better performance in cognitive tasks
What effect did increased testosterone levels have on birds?
Larger number of offspring - cheated on their monogamous partner
