Reproductive Strategies in Biology
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary limitation that affects the trade-off between egg number and reproductive seasons?

  • Genetic diversity
  • Predation rates
  • Limited energy budgets (correct)
  • Availability of nesting sites

What strategy does natural selection favor in the context of reproduction and survival?

  • Avoidance of energy expenditure at all costs
  • High fecundity with no regard to survival
  • A balance that maximizes descendants (correct)
  • High energy expenditure on egg laying

What is the result of allocating too much energy to egg-laying according to the content?

  • Increased survival rates of offspring
  • Inability to escape from predators (correct)
  • More reproductive seasons
  • Higher fertility rates in the next reproductive season

Which of the following best describes the relationship between fecundity and survivorship in populations?

<p>Species with high fecundity and low survivorship may face extinction (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which reproductive strategy might lead to fewer descendants but increased individual survival?

<p>Focusing on parental care and survival (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the parental investment in orchid seeds compared to elephants?

<p>Orchid seeds have little passive care and no active care, while elephants have high passive care and high active care. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between the reproductive strategy of mice and that of elephants?

<p>Mice produce multiple offspring with some active care, while elephants invest heavily in a few offspring. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In terms of parental investment, what is true about the coco-de-mer seed?

<p>It has significant passive care to increase the chances of survival. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do the offspring survival strategies of different species contrast?

<p>Species that invest heavily in a few offspring often provide extensive post-birth care. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What factor directly influences the number of reproductive seasons for a species?

<p>The physiological age at which a species reaches maturity. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason people forget information according to interference theory?

<p>Competition from other material interferes. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does proactive interference affect memory?

<p>It occurs when old information disrupts the recall of new information. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens during retroactive interference?

<p>New information makes it difficult to recall older information. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a recognition test in the context of memory retrieval?

<p>A test where the items to be remembered serve as retrieval cues. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario exemplifies proactive interference?

<p>Remembering a new address impairs the recall of an old address. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one predicted outcome of reducing the similarity between target and interfering material?

<p>Enhanced retention of the information. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which concept explains why someone might recall a traumatic event after meeting someone they knew from their past?

<p>Reconstructive memory. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the term 'serial position effect'?

<p>The tendency to remember items from the beginning and end of a list better than items in the middle. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the Atkinson and Shiffrin model suggest about the duration of sensory memory?

<p>It lasts about 0.2 to 0.3 seconds. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to George Miller's research, what is the average capacity of short-term memory?

<p>7 items, with a range of 5 to 9. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of recall demonstrates better memory for the beginning and end of a list?

<p>Free recall. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes long-term memory from short-term memory in terms of capacity?

<p>Long-term memory can hold an unlimited amount of information. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the retrieval failure viewpoint conceptualize memory loss?

<p>Information is temporarily inaccessible. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon explains why people overestimate the duration of a lightning strike?

<p>The afterimage effect in sensory memory. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the phenomenon where people’s recall of an event is altered by misleading post-event information?

<p>Misinformation effect (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which key concept explains that all memories are reconstructions of past events?

<p>Reconstructive memory (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which memory recall task do participants typically struggle to remember items at the end of the list?

<p>Serial recall. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term is used interchangeably with short-term memory?

<p>Working memory. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Loftus & Palmer's study, what influenced participants to report seeing broken glass that was not present?

<p>The speed estimation questions (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the concept of memory consolidation, what happens to memories over time?

<p>They may change or deteriorate (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Bartlett's War of the Ghosts experiment primarily illustrate about memory?

<p>Memory recall is often influenced by cultural background and schemas (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of reconstructive memory that can lead to inaccuracies in recalling events?

<p>Memories may introduce new information from other experiences (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does chunking play in memory retention?

<p>It allows for the grouping of information for easier recall (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which memory process is affected by decay and interference, leading to potential inaccuracies over time?

<p>Retrieval (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What primarily causes proactive interference in memory retrieval?

<p>Old information conflicting with new information (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario best illustrates retroactive interference?

<p>Struggling to remember a new phone number because you keep recalling the old one (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of using cues in memory retrieval?

<p>To stimulate recollection of information through associations (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best reflects the misinformation effect on memory?

<p>Incorporating incorrect details into memory due to misleading information (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In terms of long-term memory, what role does interference play?

<p>It complicates the retrieval of specific memories during recall (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of memory does the serial position effect primarily address?

<p>The enhanced recall for items at the beginning and end of a list (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about short-term memory is most accurate?

<p>It has a limited capacity and temporary duration (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which intervention is least likely to reduce proactive interference?

<p>Reviewing old information frequently to reinforce it (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary mechanism by which the misinformation effect alters memory recall?

<p>The incorporation of misleading information after the event (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Loftus & Palmer's study, how did the wording of the question impact participants' memory?

<p>It influenced their estimation of speed and recall of details. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes retroactive interference?

<p>New information hinders the recall of previously learned material. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of proactive interference on memory retrieval?

<p>It causes difficulty in recalling new information due to older memories. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the concept of memory decay relate to long-term memory?

<p>Long-term memory loss primarily occurs through interference, not decay. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes short-term memory from long-term memory primarily?

<p>Short-term memory maintains information for a limited duration. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a consequence of the misinformation effect as evidenced in research?

<p>Higher likelihood of recalling fictitious details influenced by suggestions. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding long-term memory storage?

<p>It can become more organized with rehearsal and retrieval. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In what way does misinformation impact eyewitness testimony reliability?

<p>It can cause inaccuracies in memory that affect testimony. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a distinguishing feature of long-term memory compared to short-term memory?

<p>It has an unlimited capacity for holding information. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How are memories reconstructed according to cognitive psychology?

<p>All memories are reconstructions influenced by various factors. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of recall tends to show a better performance for items presented at the beginning of a list?

<p>Serial recall (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What best explains why schemas influence recall during memory retrieval?

<p>Schemas shape how memory is encoded and retrieved. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does proactive interference affect memory retrieval?

<p>It disrupts the ability to remember new information due to old memories. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary outcome of reconsolidation in memory retrieval?

<p>Memories are strengthened or modified. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does proactive interference primarily affect memory recall?

<p>By causing confusion when similar items are involved. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for the misinformation effect in memory recall?

<p>The introduction of misleading information after the event. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which outcome accurately describes the effect of the misinformation effect on memory?

<p>It leads to the incorporation of incorrect details into memories. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which concept best describes the phenomenon where recent learning interferes with the recall of older memories?

<p>Retroactive interference (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the impact of retroactive interference on memory recall?

<p>New information disrupts the retrieval of older memories. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about short-term memory is correct?

<p>It can typically hold 7 ± 2 chunks of information. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of long-term memory, which statement correctly describes reconsolidation?

<p>It allows memories to be updated with new information upon retrieval. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What might explain an individual's inability to recall a specific event due to a lack of retrieval cues?

<p>Retrieval failure (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does research suggest about the effectiveness of self-testing as a learning strategy?

<p>It significantly enhances the retrieval process and long-term retention. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of long-term memory, what does the term 'infinite capacity' imply?

<p>Memories can be stored for an unlimited time without loss. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is primarily involved in the process of chunking information in short-term memory?

<p>Encoding new information effectively (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical consequence of having a strong schema when recalling information?

<p>Better recall of information consistent with previous experiences. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the serial position effect in memory recall tasks?

<p>It indicates that recall is better for items at both the beginning and end of a list. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main factor influencing the accuracy of memory during encoding and later retrieval?

<p>Schema consistency with previously stored information. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do false alarms in memory recognition tasks reflect the limitations of recall?

<p>They suggest the presence of competing memory traces that can confuse recall. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What evidence supports the idea that information in long-term memory is not completely lost over time?

<p>Individuals can recall forgotten information under different testing conditions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which memory retrieval process demonstrates that recalling information can be influenced by the format of the test?

<p>Recognition Test (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the saving score calculation used to measure retention during a relearning test?

<p>Time taken to learn new information minus time taken to relearn it. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following concepts refers to the interference that occurs when previously learned information disrupts the recall of new information?

<p>Proactive Interference (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon occurs when new information interferes with the ability to recall previously learned material?

<p>Retroactive Interference (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Passive care

Pre-birth energy investment, like seed development or gestation.

Active care

Post-birth energy investment, like raising offspring.

Parental investment (offspring)

Total energy spent on offspring, both before and after birth.

Orchid seeds vs. Coco-de-mer seeds

Orchids produce many small seeds with low passive investment, while Coco-de-mers produce one large seed with substantial passive investment.

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Offspring number vs. reproductive seasons

The relationship between the average number of eggs or offspring produced in a season and the number of reproductive seasons experienced in average.

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Trade-off in reproduction

A situation where an organism must choose between producing many offspring (high fecundity) or focusing on survival (high survivorship).

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Fecundity

The ability to produce a lot of offspring.

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Parental care & survival

Balancing effort between caring for offspring and prioritizing personal survival.

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Energy budgets

Organisms' limited capacity to obtain and use energy.

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Natural selection

Process favoring traits that maximize survival and reproductive success.

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Interference Theory

We forget information because of competition from other material. Imagine trying to remember someone's name at a crowded party - you're bombarded with new faces and names, making it harder to recall the first person you met.

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Proactive Interference

Past information interferes with new learning. This is like trying to learn a new language but constantly mixing up words from your native tongue.

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Retroactive Interference

New information makes it hard to remember older information. Imagine trying to remember your old phone number after getting a new one.

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Retrieval Cue

A piece of information that helps you access a memory. Think of it like a keyword that unlocks a specific piece of knowledge.

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Recognition Test

A memory test where you are presented with a list of items, some of which you've seen before, and you have to identify which ones you've seen. This is like a multiple-choice test.

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Recovered Memory

A memory that has been forgotten but then suddenly comes back to consciousness. This can sometimes happen after seeing a familiar place or object that triggers the memory.

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Similarity and Interference

The more similar items are, the more likely they are to interfere with each other in memory. Imagine trying to learn two similar languages - you're more likely to confuse words because they sound alike.

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Serial Position Effect

Items that appear at the beginning or end of a list are more likely to be remembered than items in the middle. It's like remembering the first and last items on a grocery list better than the ones in between.

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Misinformation Effect

When misleading information after an event alters a person's memory of the event.

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Loftus & Palmer Study

A classic experiment where participants were shown a car accident and then asked different questions about the speed of the cars. The way the questions were worded (using words like 'smashed' or 'hit') influenced the participants' memory of the speed and even the presence of broken glass.

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Reconstructions of the Past

Memories are not exact copies of events, but rather reconstructions based on our experiences, beliefs, and even misleading information.

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Encoding Biases

The way information is initially processed affects how it is stored and recalled. Incomplete or biased encoding leads to inaccurate memories.

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Memory Decay & Interference

Memories can fade over time and be interfered with by new experiences. This can make it difficult to retrieve accurate information consistently.

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Impressions & Memory

Our initial impressions and perceptions greatly influence how we store and recall information. This can lead to biases and inaccuracies in our memories.

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Sensory Memory

The initial stage of memory that holds sensory information for a very brief period (less than a second).

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Iconic Memory

The visual component of sensory memory, responsible for holding images for a fraction of a second.

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Short-Term Memory

The memory system that holds a limited amount of information for a short period of time (typically 15-30 seconds).

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Working Memory

Another name for short-term memory, emphasizing its active role in processing information.

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Capacity of Short-Term Memory

The ability of short-term memory to hold a limited number of items, usually 7 (plus or minus 2) items or chunks of information.

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Long-Term Memory

The memory system that stores information for extended periods of time, with an unlimited capacity and duration.

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Retrieval Failure

A theory that explains forgetting by suggesting that information is not lost from long-term memory, but simply difficult to access.

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Memory Reconstruction

Memories are not exact copies of events but are built and rebuilt each time we recall them, based on our experiences, beliefs, and even misleading information.

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Memory Decay

Memories can fade over time, like a photograph left in the sun.

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Memory Interference

New information can interfere with old memories, making it difficult to remember the old information.

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What influences memory?

Various factors influence our memory, including how the information was initially encoded, how we retrieve it, and external factors like misleading information.

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Importance of accurate information

It's crucial to be aware of how easily memories can be influenced by misleading information and to strive for accuracy in both encoding and retrieval.

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Memory is not perfect

Our memories are imperfect and can be influenced by a variety of factors. It's a complex process that's not always reliable.

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Decay Viewpoint

The idea that information in long-term memory fades away over time.

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Recall Test

A memory test where you have to retrieve information without any cues.

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Relearning Test

A test that measures how much faster you learn information the second time around.

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Saving Score

A measure of how much information you've retained from a previous learning session.

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What is the 'magical number seven'?

This refers to the average capacity of our short-term memory, which can hold about 7 items (or chunks of information) at a time. It's known as Miller's Law.

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Free Recall

A memory test where you're asked to recall items from a list in any order. It's like remembering what you ate for breakfast without any specific prompts.

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Serial Recall

A memory test where you're asked to recall items from a list in the exact order they were presented. It's like remembering the order of events that happened in a story.

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Hypermnesia

The phenomenon of recalling more information than initially remembered, exceeding normal recall.

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Rationalization

The tendency to interpret experiences consistently with existing beliefs, even if it involves altering or adding details.

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Reconsolidation

The process of strengthening and updating memories when they are retrieved, making them more resistant to forgetting.

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Testing Effect

Testing, beyond simply assessing learning, enhances memory and understanding.

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Schema

A mental framework that organizes knowledge about a particular object or event, based on past experiences.

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Office Schema

A mental representation of a typical office, including elements like desks, chairs, computers, and paperwork.

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False Alarm

In memory tasks, recalling information that was not actually present in the original experience.

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Consistent with Schema

Information that aligns with a person's existing schema is easier to remember.

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Alternative Explanations

Exploring explanations for experimental results beyond the initial hypothesis, considering other factors.

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Brewer & Treyens (1981)

A classic experiment investigating the influence of schemas on memory by examining recall of office items.

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Study Notes

Instructor Information

  • Instructor: Dr. Sam Yeaman
  • Office hours: Wednesdays 4-5pm BI 394
  • Email: [email protected] (subject: BIOL 241)

Research Interests

  • Research aims to understand how organisms adapt to their environment.
  • Research questions include: Is evolution flexible? How do different species respond to the same environmental challenges?

Research Methods

  • Use computer simulations, genome sequence data, and statistical modeling.

Upcoming Assignments

  • Lecture Assignment 4, next Wednesday, November 27
  • Topic 10: Reproduction
  • Bring a response form!

Biology 241 Overview

  • Course covers energy flow in biological systems.
  • Units include: molecular energy transformations, cellular energy transformations, energy allocation in organisms (energy budgets, thermoregulation, locomotion, and reproduction), and energy flow in ecosystems.
  • Relevant chapters are 26.1-26.4 and 26.7b.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain why energy is needed for growth, repair, and reproduction.
  • Define life history and explain how life history strategies vary among species.
  • Identify and describe the three types of survivorship curves.
  • Explain life-history trade-offs and interpret data in terms of costs, benefits, and trade-offs between current reproduction and other energy uses.

Reproduction

  • Asexual reproduction creates clones (exact copies).
    • Prokaryotes reproduce via binary fission.
    • Some eukaryotes (protists, fungi, and some plants) reproduce via mitosis.
  • Sexual reproduction creates recombinants (combined genomes).
    • Replicated genomes are halved into gametes (sperm and eggs) and combined to produce a zygote.
    • Only occurs in eukaryotes.

Life History Traits

  • Variable traits include growth rate, parental investment, number of offspring (fecundity), frequency of reproduction (parity), size/age at sexual maturity, size of offspring, and longevity/life expectancy (mortality rate).

Trade-offs

  • 2 life-history traits competing for limited resources make simultaneous maximization impossible.
  • Example - seed size vs seed number.

Growth

  • Indeterminate growth: growth continues throughout the lifespan (ectotherms - reptiles, fish, plants, etc).
  • Determinate growth: growth ceases when the "adult" stage is reached (endotherms - birds, mammals).

Active vs. Passive Care

  • Passive care: energy investment before birth (seed development, gestation, etc).
  • Active care: energy investment after birth (raising offspring).

Predation and Life History Traits

  • Predation affects life history traits in Trinidadian guppies and pike cichlids.
  • Higher elevations = fewer predators, larger guppies at reproduction
  • Lower elevations = more predators, smaller guppies at reproduction

Lifespan

  • Study of lifespan in nematodes (daf-2 mutants, wild-type comparison).
  • Why don't organisms live forever in the same environment?

Parity

  • Semelparity: organisms breed only once in their lifetime (e.g., Pacific salmon).
  • Iteroparity: organisms breed more than once in their lifetime (e.g., Atlantic salmon).

Larger Organisms

  • Fecundity (ability to make many offspring) increases with body size.
  • Larger size advantages can include delaying sexual maturity until larger.

Mating & Lifespan

  • Example of tradeoff- mating vs lifespan in fruit flies (Drosophila).
  • Females that laid eggs had shorter lifespans.
  • Males housed with virgins had shorter lifespans, larger males lived longer.

Age Structure Pyramids

  • Snapshot of population age structure at a particular point in time.
  • Useful in population management, conservation efforts, and for predicting future growth patterns.

Life History Tables

  • Summarize age structure, size, life history (reproductive) stage, and survivorship.
  • Predict population change over time.
  • Useful for managing crops, livestock, conservation, and pest control.
  • Includes calculation of survival rate (Sx), survivorship (lx, or proportion of cohort still alive), fecundity (mx), and net reproductive rate (Ro).

Survivorship Curves

  • Type I: low mortality until end of life (large animals, high parental care, high juvenile survival)
  • Type II: constant rate of mortality throughout lifespan (mix of r and K-selected traits)
  • Type III: low juvenile survivorship, mortality rate decreases with age (r-selected)

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Related Documents

BIOL 241 Reproduction Lecture Slides PDF
Chapter 7 Memory PSYC 200 PDF

Description

Explore the fascinating world of reproductive strategies and parental investment in various species. This quiz delves into the trade-offs between egg number, reproductive seasons, and survival tactics shaped by natural selection. Gain insights into how different reproductive strategies affect offspring survival and population dynamics.

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