EX 3 [6/7]: parasites & types of species relationships

compare and contrast the two forms of mimicry (Batesian and Mullerian)

-"Batesian mimicry" occurs when palatable insects resemble poisonous ones
-in "Mullerian mimicry", other toxic models resemble one OG toxic model

what is the "predator-prey cycle"?

- communities experience oscillations in the numbers of predators and prey that cycle at roughly equal time intervals
- as prey density increases, predators increase the number of prey they kill in a linear fashion

describe what a predator's "numerical response" would be to its prey

in a "numerical response", the population size of a predator changes in response to the pop size of its prey

describe the 8 main characteristics of parasites

[1] usually smaller than their host
[2] love on the host body surface (ectoparasite) or inside their organs/digestive tract (endoparasite)
[3] some are "obligate" (must complete their life cycle within one host) or "facultative" (can be free-living)
[4] the host is usually negatively affected
[5] some don't have all their organs
[6] high reproductive rate
[7] many can reproduce asexually
[8] has a complicated life cycle

differentiate between "microparasites" and "macroparasites"

-"microparasites" (bacteria, protozoa) can multiply quickly and travel intracellularly
-"macroparasites" (worms, ticks, fleas, lice) can travel and attach to several hosts throughout its own lifetime

what is meant by "coevolution" and the "Red Queen Hypothesis"

-in "coevolution" the parasite and host must evolve new attack and immune responses to type and 'one-up' each other
-this hypothesized series of counteradaptations is called the "Red Queen Hypothesis"

why and when should a parasite be virulent to a host?

if a parasite weakens its host, the parasite and offspring have a better chance of being passes on to the next host (the host's predator)

compare the two forms of social parasitism: "brood parasitism" and "kleptoparasitim"

-"social parasitism" is where one species is parasitically dependent on another species
-in "brood parasitism", one species lay eggs or gives birth in the nest/living space of a second species, and the second species parents take care of the first species' eggs
-in "kleptoparasitism", one species steals food or other resources (like nest sites) from a host

compare the major types of mutualism

-"facultative": two interacting species live independently of one another
-"obligate": two interactive species must be together for one or both to exist
-"defensive": one species wrangles and protects the other
-"trophic": nitrogen-fixing bacteria get to live inside plants
-"cleaning": orgs pick off dead organic matter from the teeth of predator fish, yet the predator remains docile
-"dispersive": birds eat fruits/seeds and disperse sedds/pollen

what are some differences between mutualists and parasites (5 things)

[1] mutualist life cycles are simpler
[2] endosymbionts don't have distinct dispersal stages like parasites
[3] there are no epidemics or pop size booms in mutualists, unlike parasites
[4] mutualists have a greater ecological range and broader niches
[5] mutualists can often live alone

define "commensalism", "epizootic", "epiphytic", "phoresy", and "ammensalism"

-"commensalism" (0 +) occurs when one species benefits from association with the host, who is unaffected (animals living on their host are "epizootic", plants living on their host are "epiphytic"
-"phoresy" is the transport of one animal by another
-"ammensalism" (0 -) occurs when one species does not necessarily benefit from an association, but the other species is harmed