Behavioral Ecology and Natural Selection Study Notes

Review Session Overview

Positive and negative experiences vary based on student perspective.
A review session is proposed, available resources include:
- Study guide outlines.
- Quiz questions on D2L.

Purpose: To familiarize students with exam formats and address questions regarding content.
Proposed date and time:
- Date: Monday, February 9, 4 PM.
- Format: Zoom session to accommodate remote attendance, with recording of the session available for those who cannot attend.
Content covered in review sessions may vary in duration, determined by student questions.

A tutor, Josh Sauer, is assigned to assist with this course.
Available sessions:
- Day: Every Wednesday.
- Time: 4 PM to 5:30 PM.
- Location: Stabley Library, Room 103.

Natural selection effects are not limited to physical traits; behaviors can also be selected.
- Traits must enhance reproduction or survival.
- Variations in the room contribute to gene dissemination in subsequent generations; individuals do not evolve over their lifetimes.

Animal Domestication: Certain behaviors, like docility, correlate with morphological attributes (e.g., floppy ears, color variation).

Two lovebird species:
- Fisher's Lovebird: Prefers long nesting materials carried in their beak.
- Peach-Faced Lovebird: Uses shorter materials tucked in their tails.
Hybridization results in intermediate preferences (F1 progeny exhibit ineffective nesting behaviors but demonstrate mixed traits).
Subsequent generations (F2) maintain an intermediate selection for nesting material length but do not optimize head-turning behaviors.

Male prairie voles exhibit pair-bonding; male meadow voles do not.
Genetic factors include:
- Overexpression of a neurotransmitter linked to bonding behavior.
- Experimentation shows manipulation of this neurotransmitter can induce bonding behavior in other vole types.

Black-capped birds from Northern Germany tend to migrate toward Great Britain, while those from Southern Germany migrate to North Africa.
Behavioral experiments demonstrate the influence of environmental stimuli on migration patterns, reinforced through experimental monitoring of bird behaviors.

Birds seek calorie-rich food sources in an efficient manner, balancing risk from predators (e.g., red-tailed hawk).
- Decisions depend on food source locations relative to cover for safety.
Example:
- Crows dropping shells from varying heights to optimize effort and success in food retrieval.
- Calculation involves: Number of Drops x Height of Drop.

Observing the interactions between phenotypes (example: lizards):
- Orange-Throated: Aggressive territory defend.
- Blue-Throated: Moderately aggressive.
- Yellow-Throated: Non-aggressive mimicry for mating.
Natural selection means success is dependent on population composition, akin to rock-paper-scissors.

Definition of Altruism: Sacrificing personal safety for group benefit.
- Examples include:
- Bees: Female helpers that forgo reproduction for hive benefit.
- Meerkats: Alarm calls to warn relatives, putting personal safety at risk.
Kin Selection Principle: Hamilton's rule:
- Favorable for behaviors that assist in survival and reproductive success of genetically related individuals.
- Calculated via relatedness and the number of individuals saved versus the risk taken.
Distinction between:
- Kin Selection: Collected from close relatives.
- Reciprocal Altruism: Typically among social groups with stable, recognized relationships.

Hybridization impacts on behaviors can be important. For example, the behaviors may vary and adapt quickly based on environmental pressures.
The importance of proximate versus ultimate causation in understanding behavior, considering hormonal and evolutionary influences.
Quiz questions address the necessity for reproductive success dependency on behavior performance for evolution to occur.
- Correct answer: C, highlighting the importance of behavior in reproductive success.