Animal Behavior and Ecology Quiz

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Questions and Answers

Which statement about carotenoid pigments in house finches is true?

Carotenoids can be synthesized by house finches.

High quality males have greater access to carotenoids. (correct)

Carotenoids are not essential for mating in house finches.

All males produce equally bright plumage when fed the same diet.

What role does MHC genotype play in animal attraction?

MHC genotype is unrelated to mating preferences.

MHC is non-polymorphic and does not influence mating strategies.

Only males with identical MHC haplotypes are preferred by females.

Higher MHC variability enhances immunity and affects mate choice. (correct)

What is a characteristic of handicap signals?

They are easy to fake by low-quality individuals.

They are always beneficial and low-cost.

Handicap signals have no impact on attractiveness.

They involve large costs that validate the sender's fitness. (correct)

Which of the following accurately describes the relationship between carotenoid availability and male house finches?

Availability of carotenoids is a direct indicator of male quality. Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion can be drawn from the preference of females for males with dissimilar MHC haplotypes?

Variation in MHC improves genetic diversity and immune response. Signup and view all the answers

What primarily influences the cost associated with breaking a large whelk for crows?

The number of trips and the height of each trip Signup and view all the answers

What is a key reason crows may choose to fly to 5m instead of 5.6m?

Extrinsic constraints on performance Signup and view all the answers

What is short-term optimality focused on?

Immediate solutions in the absence of other considerations Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not a critique of optimality theory?

Animals have perfect information about their situation Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by the statement that behavior maximizing net fitness will vary across individuals?

Factors like social environment and genetic quality play a role Signup and view all the answers

How can the behavior of crickets in Hawaii regarding singing be interpreted in terms of cost-benefit analysis?

Silent behavior increased due to an immediate cost of high parasites Signup and view all the answers

Why might not all individuals always engage in the same advantageous behavior?

Variability of costs and benefits across individual circumstances Signup and view all the answers

What is long-term optimality primarily concerned with?

The interaction of short-term decisions on lifetime reproductive success Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary assumption of optimality theory?

Traits maximize fitness benefit and minimize fitness cost. Signup and view all the answers

What is considered a cost when female Ormia ochracea are attracted to singing male crickets?

Potential risk of parasites due to flamboyant displays. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT one of the four parts of optimality theory?

Consider biological diversity across species. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of optimality, what does a cost-benefit analysis help determine?

The best trade-offs between available resources and behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What type of constraints does optimality theory consider?

Both intrinsic and extrinsic constraints on performance. Signup and view all the answers

When energy is spent attracting mates, what is a likely trade-off for the animal?

Less energy for foraging and resource gathering. Signup and view all the answers

What does optimality theory assume about traits seen in populations at equilibrium?

They will maximize lifetime reproductive success. Signup and view all the answers

In the example involving crows and large whelks, what factor is crucial to their foraging strategy?

The height from which they drop the whelks. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of lek polygyny?

Males display characteristics to attract females. Signup and view all the answers

According to the polygyny threshold model, why might a female choose polygyny over monogamy?

Joining an already-mated male can provide better territory advantages. Signup and view all the answers

Which prediction of the polygyny threshold model suggests females prefer monogamy when territory quality is equal?

Females pay a cost for polygyny. Signup and view all the answers

What influences a female's choice of mate according to the predictions of the polygyny threshold model?

Territory quality. Signup and view all the answers

In what type of environment is polygyny predicted to be more common according to the model?

Patchy environments. Signup and view all the answers

What benefit could individuals with relatively small gametes gain from mating with multiple individuals with large gametes?

Increased genetic diversity. Signup and view all the answers

What factor influences territory quality in the testing of red-winged blackbirds?

Depth of water below nesting site. Signup and view all the answers

What is one consequence of lek polygyny on reproductive success?

Extreme skew in reproductive success. Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of enforced monogamy in relation to mating behaviors?

Individuals may attack mates attempting polygyny. Signup and view all the answers

Why is monogamy more prevalent among birds compared to mammals?

Birds benefit from male assistance in both incubation and feeding. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary benefit of mate guarding for males?

To increase the chance that they will sire the majority of offspring. Signup and view all the answers

What does the good genes hypothesis suggest regarding male mating behavior?

Males gain fitness by allowing females to mate with other males. Signup and view all the answers

What behavior is frequently observed in socially monogamous species?

Males seeking additional mates to sire more offspring. Signup and view all the answers

How do male Australian black widows demonstrate mate guarding?

By sacrificing themselves during the mating process. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes mate assistance hypothesis?

Males provide care that significantly increases offspring survival. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential strategy for males during mating competition?

Inhibit female access to other males. Signup and view all the answers

Why is uniparental male care more common than female care in Peter's fish?

Males experience lower costs of parental care than females. Signup and view all the answers

What is a likely outcome when the operational sex ratio shifts to female-biased?

Increase in male costs causing more desertion. Signup and view all the answers

What does parent-offspring conflict in this context refer to?

Offspring requesting more care than the parent can give. Signup and view all the answers

Which option best describes direct fitness?

Fitness achieved by a parent's own reproductive efforts. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of inclusive fitness?

It combines both direct fitness and kin's reproductive contributions. Signup and view all the answers

How does caregiving affect the weight of both male and female parents?

Both sexes lose weight as a result of caregiving. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when a parent gives care to one offspring?

It decreases care available for future offspring. Signup and view all the answers

In Peter's fish, what is the spawning rate difference between males and females?

Males can brood more clutches in a shorter time than females. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Optimality

Western knowledge production and "science" is derived from unbiased examination of natural phenomena.
Scientific knowledge is considered objective, but who asks the questions is important.
Optimality is evaluated via cost-benefit analysis. Every trait has a potential fitness benefit and cost.
Examples include singing in male crickets to attract mates, which has associated energetic costs and increased risk of predators.

Cost-Benefit Analysis (Costs)

Costs often increase continuously with trait value (e.g., energetic costs).

Cost-Benefit Analysis (Benefits)

Benefits often show diminishing returns (asymptote at a certain value).

Female Ormia ochracea Behavior

Females are attracted to singing male crickets.
Such behavior entails risks of parasites and limited resources.

Trade-offs

Resources spent on one behavior necessarily means less for others.
Examples: energy/time spent attracting mates may reduce energy for other aspects like foraging and maintenance.

Optimality Theory

Adaptations maximize fitness benefits while minimizing costs. Evolutionary theory suggests traits in populations at equilibrium maximize lifetime reproductive success.
Optimality theory can be applied to fixed or developmental decisions, as well as behaviors influenced by minute-to-minute environmental conditions.

Optimality Theory (Derived from Economics)

Four key aspects: identifying behaviors/strategies, setting a common currency for costs and benefits (e.g. energy), considering environmental constraints, and testing model predictions.
This approach is a powerful tool for predicting behaviors in various animals. For example, crows choosing optimal whelk drop heights to maximize energy gain.

Trait Level (S)

Net fitness payoff (S) = Benefit (B) - Cost (C)
The adaptive trait level (S*) maximizes the net fitness payoff in a context.

Optimality Theory: Examples

Crows and whelks
Cricket singing
Honest signals in communication (e.g., honeybees' dance language) to avoid deception, so the fitness interest of the sender and receiver coincide.

Constraints

Extrinsic constraints like competition or the ability to find a dropped whelk

Constraints: Short-Term and Long-Term Optimality

Short-term optimality focuses on immediate problems without considering overall lifetime reproductive success.
Long-term optimality balances decisions in order to maximize lifetime reproductive success, which may require weighing short-term costs against potential long-term gains.
Considering all constraints, including possible competing demands.

Honest Signals

Sender and receiver have coinciding fitness interests, avoiding deceitful communication. (e.g., alarm calls and food discovery dances in honeybees)
Honesty is enforced by the interdependence of the sender and receiver's fitness. For example, foragers gain nestmate help = more food
Cryptic female choice (e.g., female fireflies mimicking other species).

Costs & Benefits of a Trait

Factors like abiotic and social environments. Individual genetic quality and condition.

Mating Systems

Social mating: based on observed interactions between individuals
Genetic mating: based on paternity and maternity patterns

Monogamy vs. Polygamy

Monogamy: one male and one female
Polygyny: one male and multiple females
Polyandry: one female and multiple males
Polygamy: multiple males and multiple females

Polyandry (Possible Reasons)

Forced polyandry (e.g. females attack males who try to approach other females)
Mate assistance hypothesis (males invest in care of offspring)
Mate guarding (males prevent other males from mating with the females)

Parental Care

Parental investment: increased offspring survival and success vs. costs of reproduction
K-selected species tend to invest more in fewer offspring, while r-selected species typically invest less in more offspring.
Environmental factors (food resources, predation risk) influence parental care.
Opportunities for future breeding also impact parental care decisions.

Sibling Rivalry and Siblicide

Sibling rivalry often occurs over parental care, with siblings competing for resources.
In cases of siblicide, one sibling kills the other for resources (e.g. in avian species).

Siblicide: Costs and Benefits

Siblicide can reduce resource competition, potentially increasing the fitness of the remaining offspring and the survival rate
The decision depends on resource availability, and if care for additional offspring will negatively impact parental fitness.

Contest Success

Resource holding potential (RHP) is determined by factors like size, strength, and weaponry.
Animals with high RHP benefit if they win but costs occur if it loses.
Cumulative assessment is decision making based on past outcomes (loser loses, winner often wins).
Mutual assessment weighs the cost and benefits of each competitor's resource holding potential (RHP)

Strategies and Tactics

Animals can use different strategies in contests like; Hawk vs. Dove or Bourgeois Strategies
Conditional strategies adapt to certain situations or ecological conditions and are commonly seen in species where environmental conditions shift.
Evolutionary stable strategies (ESS): a set of strategies that cannot be overrun by a new strategy

Sensory Drive

Sensory drive hypothesis suggests that selection on signals leads to a match between sending and receiving systems.

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Description

Test your understanding of animal behavior and ecology with this quiz! Explore topics such as carotenoid pigments in house finches, the influence of MHC genotype on attraction, and the principles of cost-benefit analysis in animal actions. Challenge yourself with questions on optimality theory and its critiques.