Ecology Behavioral Ecology Concepts 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes the phenomenon where an animal copies the behavior of others to acquire resources, rather than searching independently?
- Kleptoparasitism
- Social learning
- Local enhancement (Correct answer)
- Imprinting
Correct answer: Local enhancement
Local enhancement occurs when an individual is attracted to a location where others are feeding, increasing its own foraging success without directly copying the specific behavior.
Question 2: In the context of sperm competition, males that produce more sperm per ejaculate relative to testes size are expected to live in societies where females mate with:
- Exactly one male per season
- Multiple males (Correct answer)
- Only closely related males
- Dominant males exclusively
Correct answer: Multiple males
Sperm competition intensity increases with polyandry, so males in multi-male mating systems evolve larger relative testes and higher sperm counts.
Question 3: A female songbird preferentially pairs with males that have the most elaborate plumage even when those males provide no parental care. This best illustrates:
- Mutual mate choice
- Runaway sexual selection (Correct answer)
- Intrasexual competition
- Nuptial gift selection
Correct answer: Runaway sexual selection
Runaway (Fisherian) selection occurs when female preference and the male trait become genetically correlated, driving ever-more-elaborate ornaments beyond survival-based optima.
Question 4: What is 'dear enemy' recognition in territorial animals?
- Aggressive responses directed at territory owners from adjacent territories
- Reduced aggression toward familiar neighbors compared to strangers (Correct answer)
- Increased aggression as breeding season peaks
- Cooperative defense between neighboring territory holders
Correct answer: Reduced aggression toward familiar neighbors compared to strangers
The dear enemy effect describes the observation that residents are less aggressive toward established neighbors than toward unfamiliar strangers, because neighbor boundaries are already settled.
Question 5: Frequency-dependent selection in behavioral polymorphisms means that a rare strategy tends to:
- Be eliminated by drift
- Gain a fitness advantage over common strategies (Correct answer)
- Spread until it becomes the only strategy
- Have lower reproductive success than common strategies
Correct answer: Gain a fitness advantage over common strategies
Negative frequency-dependent selection maintains behavioral polymorphisms because rare strategies experience less competition and therefore enjoy higher relative fitness.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'scramble competition' for mates?
- Males fight directly for access to females
- Males race to locate and mate with females before rivals (Correct answer)
- Males defend resource patches that attract females
- Males form coalitions to exclude competitors
Correct answer: Males race to locate and mate with females before rivals
In scramble competition, males compete indirectly by searching faster or more efficiently rather than through direct combat or resource defense.
Question 7: An animal living in a stable, long-term pair bond that defends a territory together is most likely exhibiting which mating system?
- Polygyny
- Polyandry
- Monogamy (Correct answer)
- Promiscuity
Correct answer: Monogamy
Monogamy is characterized by exclusive mating relationships and, in many species, joint territorial defense and biparental care.
Ecology Behavioral Ecology Concepts 2
Which term describes the phenomenon where an animal copies the behavior of others to acquire resources, rather than searching independently?