Societies and reproduction - part 1

Question 1

what is the goal of reproduction?

Answer 1

Maximize offspring in the next generation

Question 2

From the perspective of inclusive fitness theory, what is the goal of reproduction?

Answer 2

to maximize copies of your genes in the next generation

Question 3

Conceptually, it can be easier to focus on the ______________________________ than number of offspring.

Answer 3

accumulation of gene copies

Question 4

how can gene copies be accumulated?

Answer 4

• direct reproduction (own offspring)
• indirect reproduction (offspring of related individuals).

Question 5

what is reproduction in a social context about

Answer 5

maximizing direct and indirect reproduction

Question 6

________________________ is always maximized by being ________________ individual(s) within the larger society.

Answer 6

• Direct reproduction
• the reproductive

Question 7

what allows a “reproductive skew” or a complete division of labor?

Answer 7

Monopolization or control of a key social resource

Question 8

define reproductive skew

Answer 8

Uneven distribution of reproduction among multiple breeding individuals in a society.

Question 9

In all but clonal societies, differences in relatedness to offspring creates _________________________________

Answer 9

conflict over reproductive skew

Question 10

_____________________ for successful maintenance of the society and successful reproduction (for the genes for sociality to evolve).

Answer 10

Conflict must be resolved

Question 11

what is the “tragedy of the commons”

Answer 11

For any shared resource within a social group (a “commons”), there is a pressure for each individual to take a little more, to increase direct benefits, until the resource is overexploited and all individuals get diminishing returns, or nothing

Question 12

what does social evolution require

Answer 12

mechanisms that prevent a “tragedy of the commons” with respect to shared resources and reproductive output

Question 13

processes of group maintenance:

Answer 13

• limitations of exploitation from outside
• Limitations of exploitation from inside

Question 14

processes of group maintenance - limitations of exploitation from inside

Answer 14

• Self-limitation.
• Coercion.

Question 15

processes of group maintenance have resulted in what

Answer 15

the evolution of a diverse array of reproductive strategies and life cycles

Question 16

Key defense against exploitation of a social group by outside intruders is _____________________

Answer 16

recognition of self vs. non-self

Question 17

Self vs. non-self requires ______________________ — non-trivial task when “self” is a large social group.

Answer 17

a reliable recognition system

Question 18

Categories of recognition systems

Answer 18

• Individual-level recognition.
• Group-member recognition.
• Kin recognition

Question 19

are recognition systems perfect?

Answer 19

no, they are imperfect and can be exploited

Question 20

Individual recognition relies on what

Answer 20

unique individual cues (visual, olfactory, auditory) and capacity for the individual brain to remember them.

Question 21

where is individual recognition common and why

Answer 21

its common in mammal societies bc they have well-developed cognitive abilities and memory

Question 22

what is a fundamental aspect of mammal social structure.

Answer 22

Persistent and complex individual-level relationships

Question 23

what does the the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus use for individual recognition

Answer 23

variable facial features

Question 24

paper wasps - ___________ of social partners lasts for up to a week and is _______________________________________

Answer 24

• memory
• maintained day to day by ongoing social interactions

Question 25

why is individual recognition important

Answer 25

- intruder recognition - as part of the maintenance of social interactions for group members

Question 26

Instead of individual-level recognition, all group members can recognize ___________________________

Answer 26

a consistent group-level cue.

Question 27

Olfactory cue may be _____________ and _____________________________

Answer 27

- partly genetic - partly environmental

Question 28

why is the olfactory cue partly genetic

Answer 28

if it was 100% genetic there would be failures

Question 29

where is group member recognition common and why

Answer 29

social arthropods bc the group shares a common olfactory cue

Question 30

________________ component emerges as a consequence of ____________________________.

Answer 30

- Environmental - shared social space and food resources

Question 31

nestmate recognition in ants is based primarily on what

Answer 31

“hydrocarbon profiles” (complex oils) on the cuticle (exoskeleton)

Question 32

Fire ants are ____________ and frequently ___________________________________.

Answer 32

- territorial - encounter individuals from neighboring territories

Question 33

what is nestmate recognition in fire ants critical for

Answer 33

maintaining colony boundaries and integrity of the reproductive social unit

Question 34

what are the three Hydrocarbon profile components

Answer 34

1. species specific (genetic) 2. colony specific (genetic) 3. modified by colony environment, including shared colony food.

Question 35

what does experimental standardization of diet across fire ant colonies do

Answer 35

- removes aggression to individual intruders (environmental influence) - but aggression remains among large groups (persistent genetic component).

Question 36

what does kin recognition rely on

Answer 36

the presence and detection of reliable cues for relatedness

Question 37

Kin recognition is the ________________ form of social recognition and hardest to study

Answer 37

least well-known

Question 38

why is kin recognition likely to be the least common form of social recognition

Answer 38

bc of constraints on both presence and detection of reliable cues — plus strong selection to obscure kin recognition cues.

Question 39

Categories of self-limitation of cheating

Answer 39

- Self-limitation via negative frequency-dependence - Self-limitation via excessive costs to the group

Question 40

Self-limitation via negative frequency dependence

Answer 40

If the direct benefits gained by cheating decrease as frequency of cheaters increases, cheating will not be selected within the population.

Question 41

Self-limitation via excessive costs to the group

Answer 41

If cheating negatively impacts group reproductive output (total direct and indirect benefits of social group), cheating will not be selected.

Question 42

Group members can manipulate others to _______________ the ______________ on conflicts of interest, stabilizing the society.

Answer 42

- decrease or eliminate - power to act

Question 43

Forms of social coercion can be placed into the following three categories:

Answer 43

- Dominance. - Punishment. - Policing.

Question 44

Dominance allows individuals to establish what

Answer 44

- “reproductive skew” - or complete monopolization of reproduction within the society.

Question 45

what happens to reproductive skew if reproductive monopolization is not achieved

Answer 45

reproductive skew typically follows a dominance hierarchy

Question 46

Dominance position is determined by what

Answer 46

asymmetries in the dominance interactions

Question 47

explain the asymmetries in the dominance interactions

Answer 47

- High ranking individuals accumulate wins in dominance interactions - while lower ranking individuals suffer more losses.

Question 48

What kind of symmetries between individuals might determine the outcome of dominance interactions?

Answer 48

1. Asymmetry in power between dominants and subordinates 2. Asymmetry in fitness consequences of escalated fighting

Question 49

Asymmetry in power between dominants and subordinates

Answer 49

- Dominants are larger, older, and/or stronger - Parents and offspring

Question 50

asymmetry in power between dominants and subordinates - dominants are larger, older, and/or stronger

Answer 50

Exploitation of these initial asymmetries typically determine the initial establishment of dominance rank.

Question 51

asymmetry in power between dominants and subordinates - parents and offspring

Answer 51

Parents, and especially mothers who tend to be closer to offspring, are always larger and stronger than offspring, at least early in life.

Question 52

Asymmetry in fitness consequences of escalated fighting.

Answer 52

Loss by some individuals has greater implications for indirect fitness

Question 53

define punishment

Answer 53

A coercive behavior that has direct or indirect benefit to the punisher by deterring the victim from acting selfishly in the future.

Question 54

punishment is a form of coercion with the goal of _____________________________

Answer 54

long-term/permanent manipulation

Question 55

Punishment can be established as a what interaction

Answer 55

- one-to-one - one-to-many - or many-to-one interaction.

Question 56

define policing

Answer 56

A coercive behavior that provides an indirect benefit to the policer by preventing a cheating social act, without necessarily deterring future cheating.

Question 57

Policing is typically achieved as a what interaction

Answer 57

- many-to-one - or a many-to-many interaction.

Question 58

why does policing not require social dominance

Answer 58

because the policers outnumber the cheats and it is returning an indirect benefit.

Question 59

The indirect benefit means that policing can be ___________________ that can be _____________ the individual needing to __________________________________

Answer 59

- a short-lived act - beneficial without - maintain direct reproductive gains or elevated social status.