animal behaviour 3

monogamy

one to one

Polygamy

one to many

polyandry

One female, several males.

polygyny

One male, several females.

Polygynandry

many to many (network of preferences "polygamy")

Polybrachygamy

promiscuity, true many to many

What is alloparental behaviour?

Caregiving to offspring that is provided by individuals other than their genetic parents.

In which type of breeders is alloparental behaviour frequent?

Cooperative breeders.

What is one benefit of alloparental behaviour for non-breeding individuals?

It provides experience for future parenting.

Who typically takes care of family in alloparental behaviour?

Non-breeding individuals.

modes of reproduction I

classification according to:

1. production of gamete (egg/sperm)

2. method of fertilization: internal or external

3. method of production of the young

viviparity

live young

ovoviviparity

Fertilized eggs are kept within mother to complete development, young obtain food from egg yolk

oviparity

eggs

Modes of reproduction II

1. Gonochoristic (dioecious) mode

2. Hermaphroditic (monoecious) mode

3. Parthenogenetic mode

Gonochoristic

separate male and female individuals (most common)

Hermaphrodiic

individuals have both eggs and sperm

- snails and slugs

Parthenogenetic

all individuals have ovaries, no fertilization necessary

rare not always obligatory

- chickens

What monkey mothers seem to require a learning process

rheus monkey

- some females stay to watch their mother raise a child first

- better success in raising their own

Parental experience hypothesis (PEH)

- unsuccessful first-time parents if they get straight into it

__________

- more successful first-time parents if they learn (fine tuning endocrine system and learning)

What is the parental provision model?

Classical view, parent provides care to offspring.

What does the conflict model of parental care suggest?

with time, cost is higher to take care of young, eventually mothers chase them off

What is the symbiosis model in parental care?

It is a mutualistic relationship where both parent and offspring benefit.

What is the transactional theory in the context of parental care?

It describes a mutual benefit where parent and offspring engage in a transactional relationship.

Social species benefit more

Wolves = more hunters

Cats = just more work

Certainty of paternity hypothosis

Father takes care of HIS kids

fathers who are more sure their kids are theirs (external fertilization) have better paternal care

gamete order hypothesis

the last parent to release gametes gives the parental care

- eggs / sperm

association or proximity hypothesis

proximity of adults and offspring determines parental behaviour

- male with female the whole time

Helpers

kin helping to raise young - usually female

Called allomothers or aunts

- Red foxes

why don't helpers disperse?

risk of finding suitable territory

risk of finding a mate

risks of successful reproduction

they stay to help their mother but also dispersal would be too risky

What type of helpers do red foxes have?

Daughters from the previous year, facultative

What is the helper system of coyotes?

Intermediary and flexible system, mate for life

What is the social system of wolves regarding helpers?

Become a social system, obligatory or facultative

patterns of paternal care

common in species with

- monogamy

- cooperative breeding

- usually with biparental care

male investment criteria in wild canids

1. grooming

2. transporting/carrying/retrieving

3. feeding

4. defending (active)

5. guarding (passive)

6. baby-sitting

7. playing

8. care to females

the only male canid that does all 8 paternal care criteria

african wild dog

eusocial

only some are able to reproduce - caste system

- mole rats

rodents that cooperative breed

mole-rats

beavers

porcupines

ground squirrels

mice and rats

what kind of breeders could dinos have been

cooperative breeders

cooperative breeding in anseriformes

monogamy = more likely to have cooperative breeding

males don't really incubate, they defend and attend to the nest and female

Anatini

ducks

anserini

geese

- surprisingly high level of sophistication

what anserini incubates

black swan male

why do male ducks stay monogamous ?

male is essential to egg production

females are philopatric (return to same site), so makes can't follow more than one to different breeding sites

What is brood amalgamation in waterfowl?

It refers to the practice where multiple parents care for young that are not their own.

What is adopting in the context of brood amalgamation?

It is when females or pairs accept foster young.

What is kidnapping in the context of brood amalgamation?

It is the aggressive take-over of the young from another female.

What is crèching in waterfowl?

It is when one or a few adults collect and care for many unrelated young.

What is gang-brooding in waterfowl?

It is when several parents join together to care for young.

Canada goose and gang brooding

50% use biparental care and 50% use gang-brooding

- not kin-based

- behaviour learned as an adult

some geese will act as nannies

Brood Parasitism

(obligate or facultative)

- inter: egg in other species nest

- intra: egg in same species nest

types of polygyny

resource-defence

female defence

male-dominance (females choosing)

scramble (males searching for mate without competition

types of polyandry

resource-defence

female access

in mammals, usually happens when monogamy doesn't work

polygyandry

non-random choice and pairing of males and females

- human "polygamy"

promiscuity (polybrachygamy)

random choice and pairing of males and females both have multiple partners

alternative mating strategies

forced matings or copulations (rape)

surreptitious or kleptogamy (sneak mating)

types of monogamy

genetic, sexual, social

genetic monogamy

refers to DNA analyses confirming that a female-male pair reproduce exclusively with each other

sexual or mating monogamy

exclusive male-female relationship based on sexual interactions

social monogamy

social living arrangement

between a male and a female

- mating system is so fundamental it becomes a social unit

coyote families

nuclear, immediate family

wolves families

extended, multi-generational

What is a criterion of monogamy that involves reduced physical differences between sexes?

Reduced sexual dimorphism

What is the term for the exclusivity of mating in monogamous relationships?

Exclusivity of mating

What is the term for a strong emotional and social bond between two individuals in a monogamous relationship?

Pair bond

What type of care involves both parents in raising offspring in monogamous species?

Biparental care

What is the practice of excluding non-kin from family interactions in monogamous relationships?

Exclusion of strangers (non-kin) from family

What is the term for the suppression of reproduction in individuals outside the primary pair bond?

Reproductive suppression

What is the avoidance of mating between closely related individuals called?

Incest avoidance

monogamy in wolves criteria

do all the criteria but incest avoidance

sexual dimporphism and reproductive variance in mating systems

larger and slower maturation with more reproductive variance when you're the one with multiple partners

exclusivity of mating

simultaneously

serially: change partners every breeding cycle

pair bond

spatial proximity

frequency: continuous or discreet associations

duration of pair bond

what percent of birds are monogamous

90%

androgen levels affecting males

lower androgens = better father

more androgens = stud

(sleep with stud raise with father)

taxonomies of monogamy

facultative and oblIgate

it's a spectrum

facultative monogamy

paternal investment low, loose association, occasionally polygyny

- can 'choose' to be monogamous

obligate monogamy

more cohesive paternal care, extrapair mating very rare, occasional polyandry

have to be monogamous ('baked in')

taxonomies of monogamy 2

Dimension 1 (spatial)

Dimension 2 (temporal)

Dimension 2 (temporal)

- serial

- permanent

Dimension 1 (spatial)

- territorial

- female-defence

- dominance-based

Taxonomies of monogamy III

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 1

male and female defend common territory

- offspring typically leave after weening

- close

- faculatative

Grade 2

adults are permanently paired

- dispersion of young is typically delayed

- family unit

- faculatative

grade 3

rank-determined monogamy (multi-male/multi-female groups_

-social structure/system

- obligate

what animals are social maters

raccoon dog, fennec fox, african wild dog, bush dog, dholes

crepescular

active at dawn and dusk

what animal hunts in clans made of multiple packs and is type IV

Dholes

- only they have social structure similar to primates

fusion fission

coming together to achieve goal (hunting) and dispersing after

Personalities

monomorphic, oligomorphic, polymorphic

Monomorphic personalities

most fox-like canids

- hard to tell litters apart

- only play is dyadic 1 : 1 play

- high sibling aggression and will kill runt

What are oligomorphic personalities?

A type of personality observed in certain canines.

Which canines exhibit oligomorphic personalities?

Coyotes and jackals.

How can oligomorphic personalities be identified in litters?

They are easier to tell apart.

What is the average level of play in oligomorphic personalities?

Average play.

What is the average level of sibling aggression in oligomorphic personalities?

Average sibling aggression.

What are some examples of polymorphic personalities in canids?

Wolf, African wild dog, bush dog, dholes

What is one benefit of polymorphic personalities in canids?

Easier to tell litters apart

What is a characteristic of canid litters with polymorphic personalities?

Many personalities

What type of play is common among siblings in canid litters with polymorphic personalities?

Triadic play (3+ siblings play)

What is a social behavior observed in canid litters with polymorphic personalities?

Low sibling aggression