Social Behaviour

Question 1

What are advantages of living in a social group?

Answer 1

• protection; safety in numbers
• finding mates
• easier to catch food
• held when raising young

Question 2

What are adapted behaviours in group living?

Answer 2

• social hierarchy
• cooperative hunting
• social defense

Question 3

What is social hierarchy?

Answer 3

Found in large social groups where animals are ranked as a result of aggressive behaviour. Higher ranked animals are dominant over lower-ranked subordinates (pecking order).

Question 4

Behaviour in a social hierarchy?

Answer 4

Dominant individuals carry out ritualistic threat displays and subordinates carry out submissive, appeasement behaviour to reduce conflict.

Question 5

Benefits of social hierarchy?

Answer 5

Increased chances of the dominant animal’s favourable genes being passed on to offspring.

Question 6

How do animals increase their social standing in a social hierarchy?

Answer 6

By forming an alliance.

Question 7

What is cooperative hunting?

Answer 7

Predatory animals often hunt together to increase hunting success.

Question 8

Benefits of cooperative hunting?

Answer 8

• Both dominant and subordinate animals gain more food than individually.
• Less energy is used per individual.
• Larger prey can be caught.

Question 9

What is social defense?

Answer 9

Staying together as a large group offers protection from predators and increases chances of survival.

Question 10

Benefits of social defense?

Answer 10

• Individuals can take turns watching for predators while others eat/forage.
• Groups can adapt specialised formations to protect the vulnerable when under attack.

Question 11

What is altruism?

Answer 11

Unselfish behaviour which is detrimental to the donor and beneficial to the recipient.

Question 12

What are the forms of

altruism?

Answer 12

Reciprocal and kin selection.

Question 13

What is reciprocal altruism?

Answer 13

One animal giving help to another in the prospect of the favour being returned.

Question 14

Where does reciprocal altruism usually occur?

Answer 14

Social animals

Question 15

What is an example of reciprocal altruism?

Answer 15

Grooming to remove parasites in apes.

Question 16

What is kin selection?

Answer 16

The donor will benefit through increased chances of survival of shared genes in the recipient’s offspring.

Question 17

Where does kin selection usually occur?

Answer 17

Usually between close relatives.

Question 18

Explain the behaviour between social insects.

Answer 18

They have developed complex social behaviours where a division of labour exists and the workers show extreme altruism.

Question 19

What are some examples of social insects?

Answer 19

• bees
• wasps
• ants
• termites

Question 20

What do sterile members of the colony do in social insects?

Answer 20

Food gathering, defense, and raising offspring.

Question 21

Who reproduces in social insects?

Answer 21

Only the responsibility of a few fertile individuals.

Question 22

Explain the extreme altruism in honey bee societies.

Answer 22

It is based on kin selection as it increases the survival of shared genes in future offspring.

Question 23

What is the purpose of a ‘waggle dance’?

Answer 23

To show the direction of food to other workers to minimise their energy expenditure.

Question 24

What are primates?

Answer 24

A group of placental mammals - humans, monkeys, apes, and lemurs.

Question 25

Why do primates provide long periods of parental care?

Answer 25

To give their offspring the opportunity to learn complex social behaviours.

Question 26

What are examples of complex social behaviours learned by primates?

Answer 26

Language and play.

Question 27

Why is language useful to primates?

Answer 27

Allows communication of thoughts and feelings to others.

Question 28

Why is play useful to primates?

Answer 28

Allows offspring to practice adult behaviours, such as sharing and cooperation.

Question 29

How is conflict reduced between social animals?

Answer 29

Subordinates carry out submissive appeasement behaviour.

Question 30

What happens to the loser when two primates engage in ritualistic threat displays to assert their dominance?

Answer 30

The loser will adopt appeasement behaviour to reduce conflict.

Question 31

What are examples of appeasement behaviour?

Answer 31

• Grooming - reduces tension and strengthens friendships.
• Facial expressions - lip-smacking, exposing teeth, and bowing.
• Sexual presentation - females presenting themselves to males.

Question 32

What will alliances do in a social hierarchy?

Answer 32

Increase their social standing.