Chapter 51 Animal Behavior — Game Theory, Foraging, Mating Systems, and Sexual Selection (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from the notes on game theory, foraging, and mating systems in animal behavior.

Game theory

A mathematical framework for modeling strategic interactions where the outcome depends on the choices of all individuals; used in behavioral ecology to analyze mating and competition.

Frequency-dependent selection

A form of natural selection in which the fitness of a phenotype depends on its frequency relative to other phenotypes in the population; helps maintain multiple mating strategies.

Side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana)

California lizard with three male throat color morphs (orange, blue, yellow) each linked to distinct mating strategies and fitness dynamics.

Orange-throated male

Aggressive morph that defends large territories with many females.

Blue-throated male

Territorial morph that defends smaller territories with fewer females.

Yellow-throated male

Nonterritorial morph that mimics females and uses sneaky mating tactics.

Rock-paper-scissors analogy (in lizards)

A cyclical interaction where each color morph has an advantage over one morph and a disadvantage against another, producing ongoing frequency cycling.

Relative performance (Darwinian fitness)

Reproductive success of a phenotype relative to other phenotypes in the population; a key measure in game-theory analyses.

Foraging

Food-obtaining behavior including searching for, recognizing, and capturing food.

Forager (for) gene

Gene in Drosophila that governs how far larvae travel while foraging; has rover and sitter alleles.

Rover allele (for)

Allele associated with longer foraging paths; rovers tend to travel farther; frequency changes with density.

Sitter allele (for)

Allele associated with shorter foraging distances; sitters stay closer to home; frequency changes with density.

Optimal foraging model

A cost-benefit framework predicting foraging decisions that minimize energy costs while maximizing nutritional gains, considering predation risk.

Predation risk

Danger of being preyed upon; a major cost that shapes foraging decisions and risk-taking.

Mule deer foraging (Odocoileus hemionus)

Deer that forage predominantly in open areas due to higher predation risk at forest edges, illustrating a foraging-predation trade-off.

Certainty of paternity

Probability that a given offspring is sired by a particular male; influences male parental care and mating strategies.

Paternal care

Care provided by males to offspring; influenced by paternity certainty and mating system; example: jawfish mouth-brooding.

Internal fertilization

Fertilization occurs inside the female; typically lower paternity certainty, often correlating with less paternal care.

External fertilization

Fertilization occurs outside the body; typically higher paternity certainty and higher likelihood of male parental care in many taxa.

Monogamy

Mating system with one male and one female pair bonded for a breeding period (or lifetime) in many species.

Polygyny

Mating system where one male mates with multiple females; often linked to greater sexual dimorphism.

Polyandry

Mating system where one female mates with multiple males; can lead to distinctive parental and sexual selection dynamics.

Sexual dimorphism

Differences in appearance between males and females, often pronounced in species with polygynous mating systems.

Mate choice

Female (and sometimes male) selection of mates based on preferred traits, influencing the evolution of male characteristics.

Intersexual selection

Selection arising from mate choice between the two sexes, typically female choice driving trait elaboration in males.

Intrasexual selection

Competition within one sex (usually males) for access to mates, often via contests or displays.

Mate-choice copying

Social learning where individuals imitate the mate choices of others, seen in species like guppies.

Stalk-eyed flies (eyes on stalks)

Males have long eyestalks; females prefer longer eyestalks, signaling health and vitality in mates.

Imprinting in mate choice (zebra finches)

Learning process where offspring form preferences based on parental appearance, influencing adult mate choices.

Guppy mate-choice copying

Females copy the mate choices of model females; can mask genetic preferences when a model exerts influence.

Agonistic behavior

Ritualized contests between individuals to gain access to resources or mates; can explain reduced variation in some populations.

Paternal care in jawfish

Male jawfish guard and aerate eggs in the mouth until the offspring hatch, illustrating paternal care in aquatic species.