Life History and Behavioral Ecology

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on Life History and Behavioral Ecology, focusing on life history strategies, mating behaviors, and the factors influencing these traits.

What is a life history record?

a record of events relating to an organism's growth, development, reproduction, and survival.

What is phenotypic plasticity?

the ability of one genotype to produce different phenotypes under different environmental conditions.

Define isogamy.

the condition where gametes are equal in size.

Define anisogamy.

the condition where organisms produce gametes of different sizes, typically with eggs being larger.

What is a trade-off in life history strategies?

the compromise between traits, such as the size and number of offspring that can be produced.

What shape life history strategies?

Life history strategies are shaped by how an organism allocates energy and resources to growth, reproduction, and survival.

What is the benefit of sexual reproduction?

recombination promotes genetic variation and enhances the ability of populations to adapt to environmental challenges.

What is metamorphosis?

an abrupt transition between larval and juvenile stages in the life cycle of some organisms.

What occurs with direct development in some species?

the fertilized egg develops directly into a juvenile without passing through a larval stage.

What is the difference between semelparous and iteroparous species?

Semelparous species reproduce only once in their lifetime, while iteroparous species can reproduce multiple times.

What is the significance of paedomorphism in salamanders?

allows some salamanders to mature sexually while retaining their larval morphology and habitat.

What is the marginal value theorem?

considers habitat as consisting of patches with different amounts of food and helps determine how long an animal should stay in a patch before moving.

What is optimal foraging theory?

animals aim to maximize the energy obtained per unit of time spent feeding.

How do predators affect foraging decisions?

Predators can influence foraging behavior, as animals may choose less optimal foraging areas to avoid predation.

What is cooperation in social groups?

refers to behaviors such as cooperative hunting and shared care for offspring, enhancing survival.

What benefits are associated with living in groups?

Benefits of living in groups include reduced risk of predation, improved reproductive success, and shared feeding.

Define sexual selection.

Sexual selection refers to the differences in reproductive rates among individuals due to differences in mating success.

Describe intrasexual selection.

Intrasexual selection occurs when individuals of one sex compete among themselves for mates.

Describe intersexual selection.

Intersexual selection occurs when individuals of one sex choose mates from the opposite sex based on particular traits.

What role do nuptial gifts play in mating behavior?

Nuptial gifts, such as food or resources, can provide direct benefits to females for mating.

What is cooperative hunting?

Cooperative hunting is a behavior displayed by some social animals, where individuals work together to catch prey.

Explain the dilution effect.

The dilution effect describes how the probability of an individual being attacked by a predator decreases as group size increases.

What is included in the concept of inclusive fitness?

Inclusive fitness includes both personal reproductive success and the success of relatives carrying copies of one's genes.

What is the fundamental question of sexual reproduction?

The fundamental question is how males and females differ in terms of gamete size and reproductive limitations.

What traits are often selected for in female mate choice?

Females often choose males based on traits such as brightness, ornamentation, or display behaviors.

What is the impact of environmental conditions on life history strategies?

Environmental conditions can influence the timing and nature of life history events, leading to diversity in life strategies.

Define philopatry.

Philopatry is the lack of dispersal, where individuals remain near their natal area.

What is a sexual characteristic of male and female gametes?

Males produce smaller, less energetically costly gametes, whereas females produce larger, energetically costly gametes.

What are the costs of sexual reproduction?

Costs include transmitting only half of the genome, slower population growth, and potential breaking up of advantageous gene combinations.

How do changes in sex during a life cycle benefit some species?

Changes in sex, such as sequential hermaphroditism, allow individuals to maximize reproductive success based on size and resource availability.

What is the competitive strategy of plants in Grime's CSR Model?

Plants can be stress-tolerant, competitive, or ruderal depending on their adaptive response to habitat conditions.

What are the primary characteristics of iteroparous species?

Iteroparous species can reproduce multiple times throughout their lives, allowing potential for greater offspring production.

What is the significance of cooperative behavior in social species?

Cooperative behavior can lead to enhanced hunting success, better resource sharing, and increased offspring survival rates.

How does the timing of reproduction affect life history strategies?

The timing of reproduction can impact the energy allocation to growth versus reproduction and influence survival rates.

What is a common pattern of life history trade-offs?

A common trade-off is between the size and number of offspring produced, where larger investments lead to fewer offspring.

What role does social structure play in lion prides?

In lion prides, social structure promotes cooperative hunting and care for cubs among closely related females.

What are the differences in reproductive strategies between males and females?

Females are typically limited by resource access, while males are limited by access to females.

How does sexual selection lead to physical differences between sexes?

Sexual selection can result in exaggerated physical traits in males, such as bright colors or larger size to attract females.

What is meant by sequential hermaphroditism?

Sequential hermaphroditism refers to the ability of an individual to change sex during its life cycle.

Describe the benefits of group living in terms of predation risk.

Group living reduces individual predation risk through collective vigilance and the dilution effect.

What factors influence mate choice according to sexual selection?

Factors include the perceived fitness of mates, physical traits, and behaviors that indicate genetic quality.