Biology 528, Behavioral Ecology, Midterm Exam, Fall 2002
Quick ID questions 2 pts each. Give a definition or explanation of each of the following.
Bateman’s Principle
Zahavi
Intention Movement
Aposematic
Marginal Value and/or Diminishing Returns
Signal (versus sign)
Sperm competition
Coevolutionary arms race
Lek paradox
Condition-dependent trait expressionEssay Questions 20 pts each
Answer four of the following five questions; you pick which four. Answer them as completely as you possibly can, including examples and discussion where appropriate.
(1) What are the assumptions and predictions of the Ideal Free Distribution (IFD)? Be sure to give examples of situations where those assumptions are (at least mostly) met and animals follow an IFD, as well as examples where the assumptions are not met and animals do not follow an IFD.
(2) Suppose an animal is collecting food for its offspring in a patch of food some distance from its home. Suppose it is attempting to maximize the rate of food return to the offspring. Also suppose that the amount of additional food it collects in the patch per unit of time decreases with the total time spent in the patch. Describe how the amount of food carried back per trip depends on the distance from the home to the food source. Make a drawing showing the optimal load size at two different distances.
(3) What is the philosophy of behavioral ecology as an approach to the study of animal behavior, what assumptions does that approach make, and what scientific evidence supports the validity of the assumptions?
(4) Explain (1) frequency-dependent selection, (2) what is meant by Evolutionarily Stable Strategies (ESS), and (3) why co-existing strategies have to have on average equal fitness at evolutionary equilibrium. Use the hawk dove game as an example to help convince me that you understand these ideas.
(5) What are the major currently accepted ideas about why females of some species show mating preferences, and what is some of the evidence for each idea. While you are at it, explain why females are usually choosier about mating than males.