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1
Question
What is sexual selection?
Page 1
Answer
A type of natural selection where traits evolve because they help individuals get mates.
2
Question
What does 'variation' mean in the context of sexual selection?
Page 1
Answer
Differences in traits among individuals.
3
Question
What is 'fitness' as defined on the sheet?
Page 1
Answer
Success in passing on genes; often measured by surviving offspring.
4
Question
How is fitness often measured according to the material?
Page 1
Answer
By the number of surviving offspring an individual produces.
5
Question
What is 'competition' in the context of sexual selection and behavior?
Page 1
Answer
When individuals fight or compete for resources or mates.
6
Question
What does 'heritability' refer to on the vocabulary sheet?
Page 1
Answer
The portion of trait variation passed genetically from parents to offspring.
7
Question
State Bateman’s Principle as given in the material.
Page 1
Answer
Males usually increase reproductive success by mating with many partners; females gain less by multiple matings.
8
Question
According to Bateman’s Principle, how do the reproductive benefits of multiple matings typically differ between males and females?
Page 1
Answer
Males typically increase reproductive success substantially by mating with many partners, while females typically gain less reproductive benefit from multiple matings.
9
Question
What is sexual dimorphism?
Page 1
Answer
Physical differences between males and females of the same species.
10
Question
What is intrasexual competition?
Page 1
Answer
Competition within one sex (often male–male).
11
Question
What is intersexual competition (mate choice) as defined on the sheet?
Page 1
Answer
Mate choice between sexes (often female choice).
12
Question
How do intrasexual and intersexual competition differ in their targets and mechanisms?
Page 1
Answer
Intrasexual competition is competition within one sex (often direct fighting among males); intersexual competition is mate choice between sexes (often females choosing among potential mates).
13
Question
What is competition before mating (pre-mating competition)?
Page 2
Answer
Competition that occurs before mating and includes behaviors such as fighting, display behaviors, and territory defense used to gain access to mates.
14
Question
What is a dominance hierarchy?
Page 2
Answer
A ranked order within a social group that determines individual access to resources and mates.
15
Question
What is territoriality in the context of animal behavior?
Page 2
Answer
Defending an area that provides resources or attracts mates to secure those benefits from others.
16
Question
What is post-mating competition?
Page 2
Answer
Competition that occurs after mating, including mechanisms like sperm competition and mate guarding to influence reproductive success.
17
Question
What is post-conception competition?
Page 2
Answer
Competition that occurs after fertilization, such as behaviors or physiological mechanisms that influence how much investment a female provides to offspring.
18
Question
What does the Sexy Sons Model propose?
Page 2
Answer
The Sexy Sons Model proposes that females choose attractive males so their sons will inherit attractiveness and therefore higher mating success, increasing the female’s genetic fitness.
19
Question
What is sensory exploitation in sexual selection?
Page 2
Answer
A process where traits evolve because they tap into pre-existing sensory preferences of the opposite sex, exploiting those biases to increase attractiveness.
20
Question
How is communication defined in this material?
Page 2
Answer
Communication is the exchange of signals that affect the behavior of other individuals.
21
Question
Who is the sender in a communication system?
Page 2
Answer
The sender is the individual producing the signal in a communication interaction.
22
Question
Who is the receiver in a communication system?
Page 2
Answer
The receiver is the individual detecting and responding to the signal produced by the sender.
23
Question
What is true communication?
Page 2
Answer
A signal that provides a benefit to both the sender and the receiver.
24
Question
What is eavesdropping in the context of animal signaling?
Page 2
Answer
When unintended receivers, such as predators or rival individuals, pick up signals and potentially use that information to the signaler’s disadvantage.
25
Question
What is the intrinsic rate of increase for a population?
Page 5
Answer
The intrinsic rate of increase is the fastest possible growth rate for a population under ideal environmental conditions (no limiting factors).
26
Question
What does carrying capacity mean in ecology?
Page 5
Answer
Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an environment can sustainably support given available resources and conditions.
27
Question
What is generation time and why is it important for population growth?
Page 5
Answer
Generation time is the time interval from an individual's birth to the age at which it reproduces. Shorter generation times generally allow faster population growth rates.
28
Question
Summarize the main argument of Malthus's essay on populations.
Page 5
Answer
Malthus argued that populations tend to grow faster than the resources needed to support them, which can lead to limits such as famine, disease, or other checks on population size.
29
Question
What does extinction mean in an ecological context?
Page 5
Answer
Extinction occurs when a species disappears completely and no living individuals remain.
30
Question
What is the 'butterfly effect' as used in complex systems ecology?
Page 5
Answer
The butterfly effect is the idea that small changes in initial conditions can lead to large, unpredictable outcomes in complex systems.