Primate Behavior Exam Review

Flashcards for Lectures 1-26 (Foundations, Ecology, Sociality, Cooperation, Cognition)

What is the Jarman-Bell Principle?

Larger-bodied animals need more food but can survive on lower-quality diets; smaller-bodied animals need high-quality food.

What are the 4 levels of behavioral explanation?

Functional, Phylogenetic, Proximate, Ontogenetic.

What does Kleiber’s Law state?

BMR = kW^0.75, showing that metabolism increases slower than body mass.

What are the three primary food classes in primate diets?

Fruits (carbs), leaves (fiber/protein), prey (protein).

What is folivory?

A dietary strategy where the diet is leaf-dominated.

Why are young leaves better than mature ones?

More nutritious and less chemically defended.

What are tannins and alkaloids?

Plant chemical defenses: tannins inhibit digestion; alkaloids are toxic.

What is a sacculated stomach?

A multi-chambered gut found in colobines for digesting leaves.

Define ecological pyramids.

Energy flow from producers (plants) to consumers (herbivores, predators).

What determines variation in primate diet?

Body size, activity level, digestive anatomy, and local food availability.

What is genetic drift?

Random changes in allele frequency, especially in small populations.

What is the Founder Effect?

Genetic drift due to a small subset of individuals founding a population.

What is heritability?

Proportion of trait variation due to genetic variation (typically ~0.5 in behavior).

What is cecotrophy?

Reingesting feces to extract more nutrients (e.g., in sportive lemurs).

How does body size affect metabolic efficiency?

Larger primates have lower MSMR and are more energy efficient.

What are the main predation responses in primates?

Evasion, alarm calling, and rare active defense.

What kind of social group do lemurs often form?

Female-dominant or solitary/seasonal groups with little facial expression.

What is the Resource Defense Hypothesis?

Primates form groups to cooperatively defend limited food resources.

Why do primates live in groups despite costs?

Benefits like predator avoidance and resource defense outweigh costs.

What’s the difference between a proximate and ultimate explanation?

Proximate: immediate mechanism; Ultimate: evolutionary function.

What role do fallback foods play in social bonding?

Allow groups to stay cohesive when preferred foods are scarce.

What’s the difference between Strepsirrhines and Haplorhines?

Strepsirrhines have better olfaction and are nocturnal; Haplorhines are diurnal with better vision.

What primate is known for its middle finger adaptation?

Aye-aye (used for extracting insect larvae).

What are some anatomical food-harvesting adaptations?

Long incisors (marmosets), robust jaws (capuchins), dexterous hands (baboons).

What is multi-gene behavioral influence?

Many genes with small effects contribute to complex behavior, influenced also by environment.

What does dominance rank affect in primates?

Access to mates/resources, stress levels, and health.

What is Hamilton’s Rule?

Altruism evolves when rB > C (relatedness × benefit > cost).

What is reciprocal altruism?

Helping non-kin with the expectation of future return.

What is a biological market?

System where primates trade social services like grooming or alliance.

Why are long-term bonds beneficial?

Increase reproductive success and reduce stress.

What hormone is associated with bonding?

Oxytocin.

What is tactical deception?

Use of misleading signals (e.g., false alarms) for personal gain.

What is the Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis?

Intelligence evolved to navigate complex social relationships.

What distinguishes mutualism from reciprocal altruism?

Mutualism benefits all parties immediately; reciprocal altruism involves delayed benefit.

How do primates reconcile after conflict?

Reconciliation (affiliative behavior), consolation, redirection.

What is redirected aggression?

Aggression toward a bystander after a conflict.

How is empathy shown in primates?

Consolation, distress mirroring, emotional regulation.

What are referential alarm calls?

Specific calls that indicate particular predator types (e.g., vervet monkey calls).

What is Theory of Mind?

The ability to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and knowledge.

What experiment shows social learning in vervets?

Corn color preference experiment (conformity in migrants).

What defines animal culture?

Group-specific behaviors passed socially, not genetically.

Do apes teach?

Limited evidence; most transmission is observational, not active teaching.

What is social tradition in primates?

Long-term, socially learned behavior within a group (e.g., grooming styles).

What is the difference between tradition and culture?

Culture involves multiple traditions and broader group norms.

What do playback experiments test?

Whether animals respond differently to specific vocalizations.

Why is cumulative culture debated in primates?

Evidence for complex, layered knowledge transmission is limited.

What are examples of primate cognition?

Tool use, mirror recognition, planning, problem-solving.

Why do females sometimes prefer low-ranking males?

For genetic diversity or better social support.

What is an example of intentional communication in apes?

Use of gestures like pointing or requesting help.

How does group living affect information flow?

Enables faster transmission of knowledge but increases conflict.