Unit_2.2.1_Sociality_and_Eusociality

Sociality

Living in groups or communities as opposed to solitary existence.

Eusociality

A high level of social organization where individuals cooperate in caring for the young, have a reproductive division of labor, and exhibit overlapping generations.

Aggregation

A social grouping where individuals come together for a temporary period, often for a specific purpose.

Parental care without nesting

Care provided by parents to their offspring that does not involve a constructed nest.

Parental care with nesting

Care provided by parents that involves constructing a nest for their offspring.

Subsociality

A level of social organization that includes care of young but does not meet all eusocial criteria.

Quasisociality

A social structure where individuals share a communal nest, assist in brood rearing, and all females can lay eggs.

Semisociality

A social structure where individuals have a communal nest, assist in brood rearing, but only some females lay eggs.

Phylum Arthropoda

The phylum that includes invertebrates with exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed appendages, which includes many eusocial organisms.

Class Insecta

The class of animals under the phylum Arthropoda that encompasses all insects, many of which are eusocial.

Order Hymenoptera

An order of insects that includes ants and bees, most of which are eusocial.

Order Isoptera

An order that includes termites, known for their eusocial structure.

Order Hemiptera

An order of insects that includes some species with advanced eusocial behavior.

Order Thysanoptera

An order of insects known as thrips, which include some eusocial species.

Class Mammalia

The class of animals that are warm-blooded vertebrates with hair or fur and mammary glands; includes some eusocial species.

Family Bathyergidae

A family of rodents known as African mole rats, which includes several primitively eusocial species.

Nesting behavior in P. vindex

The process by which the P. vindex prepares a brood ball for oviposition.

Life Cycle of Phanaeus vindex

The developmental stages of the P. vindex, which include eggs laid in brood balls.

Eusocial organisms

Species that exhibit true eusociality with cooperative care, reproductive division of labor, and generational overlap.

Reproductive division of labor

A social structure where different individuals have specialized reproductive roles.

Overlap of generations

A characteristic of eusocial organisms where multiple generations live together in a single colony.

Communal nesting

A nesting strategy where multiple individuals share a nesting site.

Eusocial complexity

The increased social structures and behaviors observed in eusocial species compared to solitary or subsocial species.

Hymenoptera example

Ants and bees are prominent examples of eusocial organisms in this order.

Energy expenditure in social species

Social species often display different patterns of energy use compared to solitary species.

Behavioral ecology

The study of ecological and evolutionary implications of behavior in animals.

Social behavior in animals

Interactions between individuals of the same species or different species, often crucial for survival.

Social structures in ecology

The arrangement and organization of social groups within animal populations.

Caste system

A hierarchical structure within eusocial species where different individuals perform different roles (e.g., workers, queens).

Selection pressure for sociality

Environmental factors that favor individuals that live in social groups.

Evolution of eusociality

The process by which eusocial behaviors developed from solitary or less social ancestors.

Human sociality

Humans are primarily considered social beings, with many cooperative behaviors.

Cooperation in animal societies

The joint efforts of individuals within a group to enhance survival and reproductive success.

Eusocial species examples

Includes ants, bees, wasps, and certain species of termites and mole rats.

Advantages of sociality

Increased survival, resource acquisition, protection, and care of young are some benefits.

Evolutionary benefits of eusociality

Enhanced survival rates and reproductive success through cooperative behaviors.