Lecture 14 - Behavioral Evolution

Question 1

What is behavior?

Answer 1

• what an animal does and how it does it

- includes muscular and nonmuscular activity

Question 2

What is a proximate question?

Answer 2

• “how” questions about behavior
• focus on environmental stimuli that trigger a behavior
• focus on the genetic/physiological and anatomical mechanisms underlying a behavior act

Question 3

What are ultimate questions?

Answer 3

• “why” questions about behavior

- address the evolutionary significance of a behavior

Question 4

What is an example of proximate and ultimate questions?

Answer 4

Schoolling in fish

Question 5

What is ethology?

Answer 5

• study of behavior, especially under natural conditions

- discipline developed in mid 1900s

Question 6

What are FAP (Fixed Action Patterns)

Answer 6

• sequence of unlearned behaviors that are largely unchangeable
• usually carried to completion once initiated
• triggered by external stimuli

Question 7

What is an example of a FAP?

Answer 7

• yawning
• consistent in length and appearance
• difficult to stop once started

Question 8

What is a FAP in sticklebacks?

Answer 8

the red belly of an intruding male stimulates attack from resident male

Question 9

What is another fixed action pattern?

Answer 9

goose egg retrieval behavior

Question 10

What are the axis spectrums for FAPs?

Answer 10

Innate (no modification through learning) - Originates and is modified by learning

Highly stereotyped fixed, (little variation) - Highly flexible (condition dependent)

Question 11

What is imprinting?

Answer 11

• includes both learned and innate components
• generally irreversible
• develops only during critical period

Question 12

What is an example of a conditional strategy?

Answer 12

sex change in a clown fish

Question 13

What is an example of simple learning (conditioning)

Answer 13

Pavlolv’s dog

Question 14

What is an example of complex learning (cognition)

Answer 14

tool use in chimps

Question 15

What are 4 characteristics of sexual selection?

Answer 15

1. selection for mating success
2. may oppose natural selection
3. may lead to sexual dimorphism
4. involves intra-sexual competition and intersexual choice

Question 16

Who has larger parental investment?

Answer 16

females (“sperm is cheap”)

Question 17

What are 2 qualities of female reproduction?

Answer 17

1. low success

2. limited by number of pregnancies she can carry

Question 18

What are 2 qualities of male reproduction?

Answer 18

1. success highly variable

2. limited by number of successful matings

Question 19

What are two examples of sex roles reversing?

Answer 19

in seahorses and pipefish, males carry young in pouch, provide all parental care

Question 20

What are 2 consequences of reproductive asymmetry?

Answer 20

1. sex with low PI should be competitive

2. sex with high PI should be choosy

Question 21

More mates generally means more ___________

Answer 21

sexual dimorphism

Question 22

What does polygamous mean?

Answer 22

-type of relationship
in which an individual of one sex mates with
several of the other.

Question 23

What does polyandrous mean?

Answer 23

-where a female takes two or more husbands at the same time.

Question 24

What is altruism

Answer 24

-Selflessness
-behavior
that reduces an individual’s fitness while increasing
the fitness of another individual.

Question 25

What did Darwin believe about altruism?

Answer 25

- presented "special difficult" | - first seemed inscrutable, actually fatal to whole theory

Question 26

Why do individuals not act "for the good of the species?"

Answer 26

cheater alleles will always win

Question 27

What might individuals maximize instead of being altruistic?

Answer 27

inclusive fitness

Question 28

What is inclusive fitness?

Answer 28

the total effect an individual has on proliferating its genes

Question 29

How does an individual maximize its inclusive fitness?

Answer 29

by enhancing the reproductive success of relatives

Question 30

What is kin selection?

Answer 30

Natural selection that favors altruistic behavior by enhancing the reproductive success of relatives.

Question 31

What is Hamilton's Rule

Answer 31

natural selection favors altruism when rB>C r=relationship coefficient B=benefit of action C=cost of action

Question 32

Applying sociobiology to humans is ______

Answer 32

controversial

Question 33

What is sociobiology?

Answer 33

The study of social behavior based | on evolutionary theory.

Question 34

What is MHC?

Answer 34

major histocompatibility complex

Question 35

Who studied sociology and happened to mention humans in his book?

Answer 35

E.O. Wilson

Question 36

What was the study on human sociobiology?

Answer 36

1. college aged women smelled men's shirts 2. women on BC didn't have pref 3. women on BC did have pref for those with different loci at genes that coded for MHC complex