Animal Parental Care and Evolution Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is one reason male water bugs take care of the eggs?

They have higher survival rates than females.

They have a greater investment in parental care.

They are less likely to attract additional mates.

They can attract additional females. (correct)

What was a significant finding from the study of Great tits regarding brood size?

Parents in normal broods produced fewer fledglings.

Reduced broods had heavier fledglings that survived better. (correct)

Enlarged broods yielded heavier fledglings than normal broods.

Enlarged broods had no impact on fledgling weight.

What pattern was observed regarding parental investment and future broods in Great tits?

All adults with enlarged first broods successfully produced second broods.

Reduced first broods often led to successful second broods. (correct)

Adults with larger broods increased their overall fitness.

Enlarged first broods did not affect second brood production at all.

What costs are associated with parental care according to the provided content?

Loss of potential future offspring due to high investment. Signup and view all the answers

How does natural selection influence parental care?

By creating a trade-off between parental survival and offspring success. Signup and view all the answers

What is a likely reason populations do not grow infinitely?

Predatory species keep the population of prey in check. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best explains the social behavior of some animals living in groups?

Living in groups increases the chances of reproductive success. Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon describes the simultaneous evolution of two or more species that influence each other's adaptations?

Co-evolution Signup and view all the answers

Why do sex ratios in various species typically lean towards a 1:1 ratio?

Each sex requires equal numbers for reproductive efficiency. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is least likely to influence human evolution?

Random genetic mutations without external factors Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of mammals are typically monogamous?

5% Signup and view all the answers

Why is maternal parental care more common than paternal care?

Maternal care often results from internal fertilization and the gestation period. Signup and view all the answers

In aquatic environments, why might paternal care be more prevalent among fishes?

Costs of parental care are usually higher for females. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant trade-off parents face in parental care?

Parental survival versus offspring survival. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between polygyny and polyandry?

Polygyny involves one male and multiple females. Signup and view all the answers

Why do female birds primarily engage in monogamous pair bonding?

To prevent males from abandoning them. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of parental care is not well represented in evolutionary origins?

Male parental care. Signup and view all the answers

What role do paternal fish typically play in offspring care?

They mouth brood the eggs. Signup and view all the answers

What advantage do male birds have by investing in parental care?

It leads to a higher potential for reproductive success. Signup and view all the answers

What factor primarily limits female mammals in reproduction?

The number of eggs they can produce. Signup and view all the answers

What factor may lead males to abandon opportunities for mating in favor of caring for young?

Sufficient benefits of engaging in parental care. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of paternal care in water bugs?

Males guarding eggs and providing aeration. Signup and view all the answers

Under what circumstance do female birds tolerate sharing a mate?

When the male is defending high-quality territory. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of altricial nestlings?

They rely heavily on parental care for survival. Signup and view all the answers

What is the reason for females tolerating a polygamous male in bird species?

To gain access to better-quality territories. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for mammals being generally polygynous?

Males can produce unlimited sperm. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the territorial male's behavior in mating?

Changes color during courtship Signup and view all the answers

Which mating strategy involves males sneaking in when females lay eggs?

Sneaker males Signup and view all the answers

What is often a conflict of interest between male and female mating strategies?

Males want to maximize mates and eggs fertilized Signup and view all the answers

In sexual conflict, what might females prefer from their male partners?

To restrict the number of mates and ensure parental care Signup and view all the answers

How is competition expressed within the sexes according to the content?

By individuals seeking to enhance their fitness relative to the same sex Signup and view all the answers

What behavior might both sexes evolve to increase mating success?

Sneaky or parasitic behaviors Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal for males in an ideal mating system?

Maximizing the number of mates and fertilized eggs Signup and view all the answers

What tactical advantage does a sneaker male have over a territorial male?

Stealth during the egg-laying process Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason females invest more per gamete than males?

Female gametes are a limited resource. Signup and view all the answers

Which mating system do males ideally prefer?

Maximizing the number of mates and offspring. Signup and view all the answers

What behavior do males often engage in to enhance their fitness even in monogamous relationships?

Extra-pair copulations (EPCs). Signup and view all the answers

In which bird species might up to 35% of young result from extra-pair copulations?

Zebra finches. Signup and view all the answers

Why might sexual cannibalism evolve in certain species like the praying mantis?

Females gain additional fitness by consuming their mates. Signup and view all the answers

What factor may influence a male's decision to allow himself to be eaten by a female?

The number of potential offspring the male can father. Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the act where a male unknowingly cares for the offspring of another male?

Parasitism. Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of copulations in swallows result in extra-pair copulations (EPCs)?

7% Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Mating Systems

Animals are classified as either monogamous (one mate) or polygynous (multiple mates).
Polygyny involves one male mating with many females.
Polyandry involves one female mating with many males.
Natural selection influences life histories, including when and how often organisms breed, and how much they invest in reproduction.
Choice of partner is also a factor in reproductive success.

Monogamy in Birds

Females typically participate in parental care, increasing their fitness for raising offspring.
They cannot risk having eggs or chicks abandoned by males.
Males are often restricted in their mating opportunities since they are bound by their exclusive use of a territory.
Sharing of males in high-quality territories may occur, enabling females to raise chicks without extra male involvement.
Sharing is more common in species where offspring are precocial (capable of independent movement soon after hatching).

Male Parental Care

Male birds invest in parental care, yielding higher potential fitness.
Eggs must be incubated until hatching, requiring both male and female participation.
Altricial nestlings (dependent young) have a high demand for food, and their survival depends heavily on both parents.
Seasonal synchronicity of female reproductive cycles can limit male mating opportunities.

Polygyny in Mammals

Females are a limited resource (limited eggs, while sperm are plentiful).
Males benefit from mating with many females to increase their chances of reproductive success.
5% of mammals are monogamous, typically territorial species or predators.
Males participate in defending territories, providing food for their young, or both.

Parental Care Evolution

Natural selection shapes and evolves parental care in species.
When parents make an investment in caring for their young, this often involves risks.
Parental survival and future fitness are traded off against offspring survival.
Evidence suggests trade-offs and costs associated with parental care.
Parental investment in offspring can significantly affect parental fitness.

Trade-offs in Parental Care

Studies in Sweden demonstrate trade-offs in parental care using Great Tits.
Changing clutch size affects costs of parental care and reproductive success in the next brood.
Larger broods were found with reduced chick success, compared to more normal broods.
Chick colour (appearance) can also affect parental care from mixed-species groups where there is colour variation in chicks.

Parental Care in Other Species

The costs of parental care in fish can be different depending if it's male or female driven.
Costs of parental care can be lower for males, enabling them to be caregivers to multiple broods.
Water bugs are predatory insects with larger eggs that require oxygenation.
Paternal care is quite common in fish, where males mouth brood eggs or care for eggs in nests.
Costs of parental care can be less for males compared to females.

Discriminating Parental Care

Parental care is targeted towards offspring: misdirecting care towards non-offspring would be costly and problematic.
Many animal species raise their young in colonies, where confusion is more common and parental care is usually targeted and discriminatory to offspring.
Animals use vocal or olfactory cues to discriminate between their offspring and others.

Adoption

Adoption can be beneficial in certain contexts for animals.
Ducks often accept extra eggs laid in their nests, as well as stray ducklings, increasing the number of offspring successfully raised.
No/little cost to the adopting parent.

Male Efforts and Female Preferences

Conflicts between males and females over mating include strategies such as 'sneaky' strategies and extra-pair copulations (EPCs).
Males may increase their fitness by engaging in EPCs, but females may benefit from restricting the number of potential mating partners.
Competition amongst males also occurs, leading to further differentiation in behaviours to gain advantage.

Sexual Cannibalism

Sexual cannibalism is a method seen in praying mantis females to increase their fitness by eating their mates.
This behaviour is more likely in species where females are predators.
In species with females who are not predators, alternative mating strategies may exist to ensure females gain sufficient fitness advantages.

General Mating Points

Females often invest significantly more per gamete than males do.
A conflict of interests typically occurs as there are differing views of 'ideal' mating systems.
The potential for males or females to gain advantages via 'sneaky' strategies should be noted.

Study Species - Tripterygion delaisi

A common rocky shore fish.
Feeds on benthic invertebrates.
Reproductive period in spring.
External fertilization.
Two mating strategies exist in this species: territorial and sneaking.

Additional notes

There is a variety of methods of parental care, as well as different instances where there are conflicts or differences between roles of the sexes.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the fascinating dynamics of parental care in animals, including insights from water bugs and Great tits. Explore how natural selection and social behaviors shape parenting strategies, and understand the evolutionary trade-offs involved. This quiz delves into important concepts regarding reproduction and offspring care.