Practice test

According to Trivers’ parent–offspring conflict model, an offspring will demand parental care until what point?

The benefit to itself is greater than half the cost to its siblings.

What hypothesis predicts that begging intensity reflects current hunger and leads to more even food distribution among siblings?

Signal-of-need hypothesis.

In the barn swallow gape-colour experiment, what does painting the gape red test?

Signal-of-quality hypothesis.

Which species is an example of facultative siblicide?

Blue-footed booby.

When is precise egg mimicry in common cuckoos most likely to evolve?

When hosts have high rejection ability.

In sexual selection theory, what does anisogamy refer to?

Unequal gamete size between sexes.

What does the mate-assistance hypothesis predict about monogamy?

Monogamy is favoured when male parental care increases offspring survival.

Which mating system is characterized by no stable pair bonds and both sexes mating multiply?

Promiscuity.

What is the term for sexual conflict that results in male traits harming female fitness, followed by female counter-adaptations?

Sexually antagonistic coevolution.

What do the 'Three Rs' in animal ethics refer to?

Replacement, Reduction, Refinement.

Define parental investment.

Parental investment is any effort by a parent that increases the survival of offspring at the cost of the parent’s ability to invest in other offspring or future reproduction.

Differentiate between signal-of-need and signal-of-quality hypotheses.

Signal-of-need reflects hunger and is favoured when food is abundant; signal-of-quality displays reflect intrinsic condition and are favoured when resources are scarce.

Give an example of egg attendance without feeding.

Female shield bugs guarding eggs.

Explain the difference between obligate and facultative siblicide.

Obligate siblicide occurs regardless of conditions (e.g., Nazca booby); facultative siblicide occurs under resource scarcity (e.g., Blue-footed booby).

Outline two philosophical frameworks in animal ethics.

Utilitarianism balances costs and benefits to maximise overall welfare; Deontology focuses on duties and rights, regardless of outcomes.

What hypothesis does the barn swallow gape-colour experiment support?

Supports the signal-of-quality hypothesis because red-painted chicks are fed more despite equal hunger.

How does parent–offspring conflict theory explain egg size variations in different environments?

Larger eggs benefit offspring, while mothers maximize fitness by producing more smaller eggs, reflecting maternal optimum.

How is sexually antagonistic coevolution evidenced in water striders?

Males have long legs for grasping during mating, while females have spines to resist unwanted mating; adaptations respond to each other.

What behavioural signs might indicate high heat stress in dairy cows with minimal rest deprivation?

Cows may spend more time in shade; shade priority can be tested by observing preferences in experimental barriers.

How would you use a shelter vs rest trade-off test for cows under cold stress?

Offer shelter versus resting choices under various conditions and observe shelter usage to determine the need for extra shelter.

Compare and contrast the evolutionary drivers for monogamy, polygyny, and polyandry.

Monogamy is favoured when parental care is needed; polygyny occurs when males can defend resources; polyandry happens when male care is limited.

Discuss the role of sexually antagonistic coevolution with examples.

SAC drives morphological and behavioural changes through competition between sexes, seen in dung flies, water striders, and penduline tits.

How do environmental measurements and behavioral priorities help infer animal subjective experiences?

They reveal discomfort through behavioural trade-offs under physical conditions, showing when animals prefer shade or shelter.

Evaluate the signal-of-need and signal-of-quality frameworks in parent–offspring communication.

Both explain feeding preferences but can conflict; good experimental design is required to isolate their effects.

Discuss ethical considerations in animal behaviour research.

Utilitarianism weighs harm against benefit; Deontology values animal rights; Kaupapa Māori ethics focus on relationships, influencing research design.