Behavioral Ecology and Population Dynamics

These flashcards cover essential concepts in behavioral ecology and population dynamics, based on the key points from lecture notes.

What are the four modes of animal communication discussed in the lecture?

Chemical, auditory, visual, and tactile.

What does altruism refer to in behavioral ecology?

Behavior that appears to benefit others at a cost to oneself.

What is kin selection?

Behavior that lowers an individual's own fitness but enhances the reproductive success of relatives.

What is Hamilton's rule?

Altruism is favored if rB > C, where r is the relatedness coefficient, B is the benefit to the recipient, and C is the cost to the donor.

What is the definition of inclusive fitness?

The total number of copies of genes passed on through one's own offspring and one's relatives.

What is polygyny in animal mating systems?

A mating system where one male mates with multiple females.

What does polyandry refer to?

A mating system where one female mates with several males.

Define monogamy in the context of animal behavior.

A mating pattern in which one male forms a pair bond with one female.

What is an example of tactile communication in animals?

Social bonding and grooming behaviors.

Describe fixed action patterns in innate behaviors.

Involuntary, automatic sequences of behavior triggered by specific stimuli.

What is the difference between learned and innate behaviors?

Learned behaviors result from environmental conditioning, while innate behaviors have a strong genetic component.

What is the primary characteristic of r-selected species?

They thrive in unpredictable environments and have high fecundity with little parental care.

What is the significance of sexual dimorphism?

Physical differences between males and females of the same species, often related to mating systems.

Explain reciprocal altruism.

Behavior where one organism provides a benefit to another with the expectation of receiving a benefit in return.

What does cognitive learning involve?

Understanding, problem-solving, and reasoning, often through experiences and observations.

What is the role of demography in population ecology?

It studies factors like birth rates, death rates, and age distributions that affect population size.

Define density-dependent factors in population ecology.

Factors that become more intense as population size increases, such as competition and predation.

What is an example of an innate behavior concerning migration?

Seasonal, long-distance movement driven by genetic and environmental cues.