Animal Parental Care and Evolution Quiz

A mating system where both males and females form a pair bond and mate exclusively with each other.

A mating system where either males or females have multiple mating partners. There are two sub-types: polygyny (one male with multiple females) and polyandry (one female with multiple males).

A mating system where one male mates with multiple females. Each female is usually responsible for parental care.

A mating system where one female mates with multiple males. Each male is usually responsible for parental care.

The strategy an organism uses to reproduce, including when, how often, and how much it invests in reproduction.

Young that are born helpless and require extensive parental care. They are unable to move about independently or care for themselves.

Young that are born relatively independent and can move about independently. They are typically able to feed themselves from birth.

The act of sharing a mate with another individual. This can occur in both monogamous and polygynous species.

The benefit of providing parental care is increased offspring survival, but it comes at the cost of reduced parental survival and future reproductive success.

The increased investment in parental care, such as providing more food to offspring, leads to a larger brood size but also results in smaller and weaker offspring with lower survival rates.

Reduced parental care, such as removing some eggs from a nest, may lead to smaller brood size, but the remaining offspring are larger, stronger, and have higher survival rates.

Parental care, especially for large broods, can significantly impact a parent's ability to reproduce again in the same breeding season.

By studying the effects of manipulating brood size in Great Tits, we can observe how changes in parental care affect offspring survival and parental reproductive success.

A mating system where a male and a female form a pair bond and usually cooperate in raising offspring. It is often found in species where males contribute significantly to offspring care, such as defending territories and providing food.

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more successfully, resulting in the gradual evolution of species.

The process in which parents invest time, energy, and resources in their offspring to increase their chances of survival and reproduction. This can include providing food, shelter, protection, and teaching.

Parental care provided by the mother of the offspring. In some instances, it is influenced by delayed birth after mating and the role of internal fertilization.

Uncertainty about whether a male is the father of a particular offspring. This can reduce the benefit to cost ratio of a male providing parental care, as the benefits are uncertain.

Parental care provided by the father of the offspring. It is more likely to evolve when the benefits of providing care outweigh the costs of missing mating opportunities.

A group of insects in the family Membracidae, known for their elaborate and often colorful pronotum (dorsal plate). In this group, female parental care (guarding eggs) is more common than male parental care.

A group of aquatic animals with many species showing paternal care. This is often seen in mouth-brooding or nest-guarding behavior.

The process where two or more species evolve in response to each other, often leading to mutual adaptations.

The study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.

The process by which populations change over time due to genetic variation and natural selection, leading to new species.

A period of Earth's history characterized by human-induced changes to the planet, such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

Factors that limit how large a population can grow in a given environment, such as food availability, space, or competition.

A reproductive strategy where males use different tactics to mate with females. One tactic involves establishing a territory, guarding a nest, and attracting females. The other tactic involves 'sneaking' in while the female lays eggs.

A male that defends a territory, attracts females by changing colors, and guards a nest.

A male that tries to mate with females by 'sneaking' in while they are laying eggs.

The difference in what is most beneficial for males and females in terms of mating and reproduction.

Males want to mate with as many females as possible to maximize the number of offspring they produce. Females want to mate with the best males and may be more selective.

Behaviors that individuals of each sex use to increase their chances of mating and reproducing.

Competition within a sex to outcompete others to gain mating opportunities.

An individual's ability to survive and reproduce, often measured by the number of offspring they successfully produce.

Females invest more resources in eggs compared to males, who invest more in sperm. This difference in investment leads to sexual conflicts regarding mating and parental care.

Natural selection favors males that can successfully compete for mates, as females have limited resources and are choosier in their mates.

Males have the advantage in maximizing offspring by mating with multiple females, while females favor a single mate to ensure parental care and resource investment.

Males can increase their fitness by secretly mating with other females, even if they are already paired, to increase their offspring count.

A dramatic form of sexual conflict where the female consumes the male after mating. This provides the female with nutrients and resources, potentially leading to increased egg production.

Sexual cannibalism evolves in predators, as the female benefits by gaining nutrients from her mate. This strategy is less common for herbivores who lack the necessary predatory skills.

The decision for a male praying mantis to be cannibalized depends on the potential number of offspring he'd father by surviving and the chances of future mating opportunities. A high chance of future mating could encourage the male to resist cannibalism.