Social Behaviour 3.6

Question 1

What behaviours do animals that live in social groups have that are adapted to group living?

Answer 1

Many animals live in social groups and have behaviours that are adapted to
group living such as social hierarchy, cooperative hunting and social defence.

Question 2

What is social hierarchy?

Answer 2

Social hierarchy is a rank order within a group of animals consisting of a dominant
and subordinate members.

Question 3

In a social hierarchy, what kind of behaviours do dominant and subordinate animals carry out?

Answer 3

In a social hierarchy, dominant individuals carry out ritualistic (threat) displays whilst subordinate animals carry out appeasement behaviour to reduce conflict.

Question 4

What do social hierarchies increase the chances of?

Answer 4

Social hierarchies increase the chances of the dominant animal’s favourable genes
being passed on to offspring.

Question 5

Why do animals form alliances in social hierarchies?

Answer 5

Animals often form alliances in social hierarchies to increase their social status within the
group.

Question 6

Why may co-operative hunting benefit subordinate animals as well as dominant ones?

Answer 6

Co-operative hunting may benefit subordinate animals as well as dominant ones, as they may gain more food than by
foraging alone. Less energy is used per individual.

Question 7

What does co-operative hunting enable?

Answer 7

Co-operative hunting enables larger prey to be caught and increases the chance of success.