week 7

Question 1

what does senesce mean

Answer 1

deteriorate with age

thought to represent the accumulation of unrepaired damage to the body over time

Question 2

the disposable soma hypothesis

Answer 2

• evolution maximises representation in the population in the distant future
• energy is a limited resource
• individuals aren’t around forever - extrinsic mortality
• result is organisms that senesce

Question 3

what does high mortality mean in a population

Answer 3

selects for a ‘fast’ life history

Question 4

parental care in species

Answer 4

none - most animals
male only - many fish
female only - most mammals
biparental - many birds

parental care only evolves where the benefits to the parent exceeds the costs