Social conflict and resolution: Test Check Questions

Question 1

How many dominant animals are there in a simple hierarchy? What about a linear hierarchy?

Answer 1

Simple hierarchy: one alpha animal
Linear hierarchy: multiple dominant beings, such as dominant alpha, subdominant, and subordinates

Question 2

When male-male competition is not intense, what type of alternative sex changing strategy can animals exhibit to maximize reproductive success?

Answer 2

• protandrous hermaphroditism
• less competition means a change from male to female will allow more offspring to be produced (such as eggs for a clownfish)

Question 3

What factors contribute to driving sex changing behaviors?

Answer 3

• male competition for mates
• reproductive success outweigh costs to change sex (such as competition no longer being needed)

Question 4

In what ways are dominant hierarchies established? (Explain 3 general ways!)

Answer 4

Aggressive encounters: animals fight out to determine who is most dominant; since energy costly, can include strength tests instead of out right fighting first

Association: relationship with most dominant animal impacted, can have increased or lost dominance when confronting other groups with hierarchies

Birthright: animal born to dominant mother will be placed in hierarchy right under her

Question 5

In females that live in matrilineal lineages what hierarchy position does the offspring of the most dominant female assume?

Answer 5

the offspring of the most dominant female will assume the position right under her

Question 6

In mammals, what specific neural regions are known to play a role in aggressive behavior?

Answer 6

Limbic system overall (made up of the hypothalamus, thalamus, amygdala, hippocampus)

Question 7

What factors play an important role in the expression of animal aggression?

Answer 7

• Hormones, reproductive cycle of females, pain, prior learning
• range of social interactions for parents and offspring, predators, and territory

Question 8

What type of alternative reproductive strategy do male Centris bees and midshipman fish display?

Answer 8

Bees: Larger males, known as large-morphs, rely on olfactory cues to locate females and engage in direct competition for mates. Smaller males, or small-morphs, use visual cues and tend to search for mates over longer distances

Midshipman fish: Type I males are larger, build nests, and produce vocalizations to attract females. Type II males are smaller, do not build nests, and instead use a “sneaker” strategy, sneaking into Type I males’ nests to fertilize eggs. This allows Type II males to reproduce without the need for the resources and energy required to build and defend a nest.

Question 9

When male-male competition is intense, what type of alternative sex changing behavior can animals exhibit to maximize reproductive success?

Answer 9

• protogynous hermaphroditism
• convient to produce as female first and then become male later to promote reproduction as a large male