Exam III Possible Short Answer Questions

1. Gulo gulo is a species with internal fertilization in which males typically mate with more than one female.
a. Which sex probably has higher parental investment per offspring?
b. Which sex is probably subject to stronger sexual selection? The mating system of a species is not only a result of differential parental investment but also of ecology. What kind of mating system (in 2 or 3 words) is Gulo gulo likely to have if:
c. Females live in groups?
d. Females are solitary and resources are indefensible?
e. Males are able to monopolize valuable centers of food?

2. E.O. Wilson proposed four major factors that would favor the development of parental care in a species. What are they? For each factor, provide an example of a species in which parenting might have been affected by that factor. Briefly explain two broad factors that affect which gender will provide care. Briefly explain two factors that favor biparental care. How does this relate to factors that favor the development of helping at the nest/den behavior and eusociality?

3. What are the 3 major mechanisms that maintain cooperative behavior in animals (list and explain)? What is the coefficient of relatedness between you & each of your parents? Your niece? Your sibling? How many nieces must survive because of your help in order for you to gain more inclusive fitness than if you had one offspring of your own?

4. You are a male Tufted Mugalump who is engaged in an agonistic encounter with another male Tufted Mugalump. For each of the following conditions, state whether you should play Hawk or Dove and explain why:

a. He is intruding on your territory,

b. Your species is endowed with deadly weaponry,

c. He is challenging you over food and you have eaten but he has not,

d. He is challenging you over a female and if you lose this fight, you may never get to mate.

Now, go back and explain how/why your challenger should respond in each of those cases.

5. Explain and provide a "real-life" example of any type of mixed ESS (from any of the subjects we've discussed this quarter). Then, specifically explain how the Hawk and Dove strategies could exist as mixed ESS.

6. Two unrelated female vampire bats return to their roost from a nights' feeding. One has not eaten, and the other regurgitates some food to feed her. Explain why this apparently altruistic act has just occurred. What are 3 factors that need to be true in order for this type of behavior to develop? What is the "expectation" of the "altruistic" bat? What should she do if her expectation is not met?

7. A pack of wolves leaves a litter of pups to hunt. An aunt stays at the den to babysit the pups. What are two other things helpers at the nest do to help? What are two potential costs to this aunt of helping her sister's young rather than breeding? What are two potential benefits? What are three ecological constraints that could have led to the development of helping in wolves or other species with helping behavior? Provide another example of a species that exhibits helping behavior.

 

 

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