MORE TEST 2 PREP

📝 Practice Test B (35 marks, ~50 min)

Section A – Definitions (10)

1. Distinguish signal vs cue with one example each. (2)

2. Define Müllerian mimicry and explain why it’s frequency-dependent. (2)

3. What is aggressive mimicry? Give two taxa/examples. (2)

4. Define eavesdropping and give one amphibian example. (2)

5. State Hamilton’s Rule and interpret each term. (2)

Section B – MCQ (5)

6. A system most likely maintained by handicap costs is:

   a) Wasps punishing faked badges b) Toes’ pitch–size link c) Stalk-eyed fly eye-stalks d) Coral snake mimicry (1)

7. Index signals are:

   a) Costly ornaments b) Unfakeable, anatomically linked c) Reciprocal favours d) Learned displays (1)

8. Ideal Free Distribution assumes:

   a) Unequal competitors b) Costly movement c) Perfect knowledge d) Predator-free patches (1)

9. Chemical crypsis best fits:

   a) Milk snake colours b) Snake odor masking to avoid sniffers c) Portia web plucks d) UV floral guides (1)

10. Territoriality is favoured when resources are:

    a) Super-abundant b) Extremely scarce c) Patchy & defensible with intermediate abundance d) Perfectly uniform (1)

Section C – Short Answer (10)

11. Explain how Portia uses multi-modal deception to hunt spiders. Include approach and capture phases. (4)

12. In sunbirds, why does territory size vary ~300× yet contain ~1,600 flowers on average? What does this imply? (3)

13. Briefly compare home range vs territory using one mammal example. (3)

Section D – Discussion (10)

14. Using sensory exploitation, explain:

    a) Why bowerbird displays/ornaments can be effective even without direct survival benefit.

    b) One plant and one animal example of exploiting pre-existing biases. (5)

15. Show how travel time shapes optimal giving-up time under MVT. Provide one prediction for long- vs short-travel landscapes and a real-world illustration. (5)

Test B — Marking Guide (compact)

• A1: signal vs cue + ex (2)

• A2: Müllerian = all harmful; positive frequency dependence (2)

• A3: predator mimics harmless/attractive; e.g., bolas spider, anglerfish lure, Portia (2)

• A4: third-party interception; Túngara frogs vs bats (2)

• A5: Br > C with terms (2)

• MCQ: 6 c, 7 b, 8 c, 9 b, 10 c (5)

• C11: debris mimic, path-planning, web-vibration mimic; stage detail (4)

• C12: energetic economics → resource constancy principle (1,600 flowers); implies tracking resource, not area (3)

• C13: home range = used, not defended; territory = actively defended; example (3)

• D14: a) pre-existing biases & mate choice; b) plant (orchid UV/scent), animal (finch head-feather test, swordtail tails) (5)

• D15: slope equality; long travel → longer patch time, short travel → earlier leaving; ant/termite mound or analogous case (5)

📝 Practice Test C (35 marks, ~50 min)

Section A (10)

1. Define cryptic behaviour and give one non-visual example. (2)

2. What are the costs and benefits of deception for the receiver? (2)

3. Explain biased receiver concept with one empirical illustration. (2)

4. Contrast convergent evolution vs mimicry with one case. (2)

5. Define altruism and name two currencies of cost. (2)

Section B – MCQ (5)

6. A harmless hoverfly resembling a stinging wasp is: a) Müllerian b) Batesian c) Aggressive mimicry d) Crypsis (1)

7. Which reduces bat predation on frogs in the playback study? a) Louder calls b) Leaf litter clutter c) More ripples d) Clear water (1)

8. Illegitimate receiver example:

   a) Moth male smelling orchid b) Bat homing to frog calls c) Bee attracted to UV nectar guides d) Female choosing longer tails (1)

9. Which doesn’t fit mutualism?

   a) Pack hunting b) Cleaner fish c) Oxpeckers on giraffes (as per study) d) Grooming reducing aggression (1)

10. Kin recognition by location is vulnerable to: a) Cheating by phenotype b) Cuckoo parasitism c) Low r d) Memory limits (1)

Section C (10)

11. Using Batesian milk snake–coral snake, explain why mimic frequency matters and predict outcomes if mimics >> models. (3)

12. Describe detritivory and give two ecological roles/benefits. (3)

13. Give one example each of visual, chemical, and electrical signals; state function for each. (4)

Section D (10)

14. Evaluate mechanisms that maintain honesty in signals: handicap, index, social costs. Use one species per mechanism. (5)

15. Apply IFD to two patches (rich vs poor). Sketch logic (no drawing needed): how do individuals redistribute with density, and what breaks IFD in the wild? (5)

Test C — Marking Guide

• A1: behaviour reducing detectability; chemical crypsis or freezing at night (2)

• A2: costs = time/energy lost, predation; benefit = sometimes info gained/learning avoidance (2)

• A3: receivers favour certain traits (e.g., finch white feather; swordtail tails) (2)

• A4: shark–dolphin shape = convergence; mimicry requires selection via deception (2)

• A5: altruism = cost to actor, benefit to other; currencies: energy/time/risk/opportunity (2)

• MCQ: 6 b, 7 b, 8 b, 9 c, 10 b (5)

• C11: frequency dependence; too many mimics → predators sample, mimic benefit collapses (3)

• C12: consumes dead matter; roles: nutrient cycling, decomposition, pathogen control, soil building (3)

• C13: visual—bowerbird courtship; chemical—nautilus mate cue; electrical—knifefish species/sex ID (4)

• D14: handicap—stalk-eyed flies; index—toad pitch/size; social—paper wasps punish fakes (5)

• D15: density-dependent equalization; spillover to poor patch; violations: unequal competitors, imperfect info, movement costs, Allee effects (5)

📝 Practice Test D (35 marks, ~50 min)

Section A (10)

1. Define aggressive mimicry and give a chemical example. (2)

2. What is multimodal signaling? Provide one benefit in cluttered habitats. (2)

3. Define home range and territory. (2)

4. When is defending a territory not worth it? Give two scenarios. (2)

5. Explain giving-up time and how it changes with travel time. (2)

Section B – MCQ (5)

6. A predator mimicking prey vibrations is: a) Eavesdropping b) Aggressive mimicry c) Müllerian mimicry d) Kin selection (1)

7. A haplodiploid system matters for orchids/pollinators because:

   a) Males are sterile b) Deception can persist as females still reproduce c) Males have higher r d) Flowers evolve faster (1)

8. Which statement about territory economics is true?

   a) Costs fall with area b) Benefits never plateau c) Defend when benefits – costs is maximized d) Defend only in poor habitats (1)

9. The oxpecker case shows:

   a) All cleaning is mutualism b) Empirical tests can overturn assumptions c) Parasites help hosts d) Earwax is irrelevant (1)

10. Allee effects imply that at very low density:

    a) Fitness rises b) Fitness may drop c) Territories shrink to zero d) Signals vanish (1)

Section C (10)

11. Contrast Batesian vs Müllerian mimicry using insect examples; include prediction about predator learning. (4)

12. Describe accidental dispersal and its usual colonization outcome; give one NZ-relevant example. (3)

13. Why do grass-feeders tend to show different territorial/mating patterns than fruit/seed feeders? (3)

Section D (10)

14. Discuss eavesdropping and arms races with the frog–bat system; propose one counter-adaptation by frogs and one by bats. (5)

15. Using Hamilton’s Rule, evaluate whether helping a cousin (r = 1/8) is favoured if help yields +4 offspring to cousin at a cost of 2 to actor. Show working. (5)

Test D — Marking Guide

• A1: predator mimic; chemical = bolas pheromones (2)

• A2: multiple channels; benefit = redundancy/robustness in clutter (2)

• A3: defs (2)

• A4: super-abundant resources; too many intruders; extremely scarce/indefensible (2)

• A5: time when rate drops to average; increases with travel time (2)

• MCQ: 6 b, 7 b, 8 c, 9 b, 10 b (5)

• C11: Batesian = harmless mimic harmful; relies on common models; Müllerian = all harmful → faster learning (4)

• C12: storm-driven vagrants; rarely colonize (no mates); e.g., Aussie bird blown to NZ (3)

• C13: fruit/seed patchy & slow renewal → female territoriality/monogamy; grass widespread/fast renewal → female clumping, male territoriality/polygyny (3)

• D14: frog lowers call rate, calls from clutter, shifts frequency; bat uses ripples/echolocation integration or time-of-night shifts (5)

• D15: Br = 4 × 1/8 = 0.5; C = 2 → 0.5 > 2? No; not favoured (5)

📝 Practice Test E (35 marks, ~50 min)

Section A (10)

1. Define chemical crypsis and provide one snake-related implication. (2)

2. What is an illegitimate signaler vs illegitimate receiver? (2)

3. Give two orchid deception mechanisms and the sensory modalities exploited. (2)

4. Define mutualism and give one between-species example. (2)

5. What is a search image and how might it affect foraging success? (2)

Section B – MCQ (5)

6. Swordtail female preference for long tails demonstrates:

   a) Handicap b) Index c) Sensory bias d) Kin bias (1)

7. Glowworms luring prey illustrate:

   a) Honest danger signals b) Ecological traps for receivers c) Territorial defense d) IFD (1)

8. Paper wasps punish cheaters, maintaining:

   a) Handicap honesty b) Index honesty c) Social enforcement d) Reciprocity (1)

9. Perfect knowledge is an assumption of:

   a) IFD b) MVT c) Kin selection d) Handicap (1)

10. Home ranges typically:

    a) Are defended b) Never overlap c) Can overlap and are not defended d) Contain fixed resources only (1)

Section C (10)

11. Outline a simple Y-maze design to test olfactory mate cues (nautilus case). What result would support chemical signaling? (4)

12. Explain handling time and give two traits of prey that increase it. (3)

13. Show how movement cost can break IFD predictions. (3)

Section D (10)

14. Evaluate nectarless mimicry in orchids: why might it persist despite zero reward? Address frequency and pollinator learning. (5)

15. Design a brief study to test whether a visual ornament in a jumping spider is a handicap or an index. Predict outcomes under each. (5)

Test E — Marking Guide

• A1: odor masking; trained mammals (dogs/meerkats) can fail to detect (2)

• A2: signaler = fake sender; receiver = unintended eavesdropper (2)

• A3: sexual deception (visual+tactile+scent), carrion mimicry (olfactory) (2)

• A4: both benefit; cleaner mutualisms (2)

• A5: learned feature template; increases detection of target items (2)

• MCQ: 6 c, 7 b, 8 c, 9 a, 10 c (5)

• C11: two arms with female cue vs control; choose cue arm significantly >50% (4)

• C12: time to subdue/process; examples: shells/toxins/spines/large size (3)

• C13: if moving is costly/risky, individuals may stay in suboptimal patches (3)

• D14: low frequency & imperfect learning can sustain; too many deceivers → pollinators avoid morph (5)

• D15: handicap test—manipulate ornament cost; only high-quality males sustain; index—ornament tightly linked to performance metric, unfakeable (5)

📝 Practice Test F (35 marks, ~50 min)

Section A (10)

1. Define sensory exploitation and contrast with honest signaling. (2)

2. Give one cost and one benefit of multimodal courtship signals. (2)

3. What is background matching vs disruptive coloration? (2)

4. Provide an example of plant deception outside orchids. (2)

5. Define reciprocal altruism and list two prerequisites. (2)

Section B – MCQ (5)

6. The finch white feather experiment shows:

   a) Index b) Handicap c) Receiver bias d) Kin choice (1)

7. Mimics >> models in Batesian systems causes:

   a) Stronger avoidance b) Neutral effect c) Breakdown of avoidance d) Turn into Müllerian (1)

8. Territory defense most likely when resources:

   a) Are uniform b) Renew slowly & unpredictably c) Are patchy, predictable, defensible d) Are mobile (1)

9. Giving-up time increases when:

   a) Travel time decreases b) Travel time increases c) Patches improve d) Predation risk rises (1)

10. Altruism is favoured when:

    a) C > Br b) Br > C c) B = C d) r = 0 (1)

Section C (10)

11. Explain how UV floral guides function as signals; predict a pollinator’s response if UV is masked. (3)

12. Provide one aggressive mimicry example and identify the receiver bias it exploits. (3)

13. Using sunbird thresholds, explain the too-low and too-high resource cases for territoriality. (4)

Section D (10)

14. Compare two deception mechanisms (e.g., chemical crypsis vs visual Batesian mimicry) in terms of modality, learning by predators, and breakdown conditions. (5)

15. A bird can raise 2 chicks alone (C=2). Helping a sibling raises sibling’s brood from 2 to 7 (+5). Should it help? Show Hamilton’s Rule. (5)

Test F — Marking Guide

• A1: exploitation vs evolved honesty linking cost/constraint/accuracy (2)

• A2: cost—energy/time/predation risk; benefit—robustness/redundancy/attractiveness (2)

• A3: background matching blends; disruptive breaks outline (2)

• A4: Carrion flowers (Stapelia/Rafflesia) mimic rot to attract flies (2)

• A5: cost now, delayed return; needs recognition, memory, repeated interaction (2)

• MCQ: 6 c, 7 c, 8 c, 9 b, 10 b (5)

• C11: UV guides steer landing; masking → reduced visitation/accuracy (3)

• C12: bolas spider uses moth pheromone bias; anglerfish uses prey-like lure (3)

• C13: too low → not worth defending; too high → owner can’t use surplus, many intruders (4)

• D14: chemical vs visual; learning speed, generalization; breakdown when predators switch modality or model frequency drops; scent masking vs model:mimic ratios (5)

• D15: Br = 5 × 0.5 = 2.5; C = 2 → 2.5 > 2 → helping favoured (5)

If you want, I can turn any of these into printable PDFs, or randomize the MCQ orders for spaced-repetition sets.