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BEHAVIOUR:
ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
NO.2
Kevin Brewer
ISBN: 978-1-904542-47-6
This document is produced under two principles:
orsettpsychologicalservices@phonecoop.coop
1.1. INTRODUCTION
1
Allele is a possible copy of a gene at a particular point of the chromosome.
Animal Behaviour: Advantages and Disadvantages No.2; Kevin Brewer; 2009
ISBN: 978-1-904542-47-6 7
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
2
100% = identical twins; 50% = parent-offspring and between siblings.
Animal Behaviour: Advantages and Disadvantages No.2; Kevin Brewer; 2009
ISBN: 978-1-904542-47-6 15
In figure 1.6, four matings are key:
1.5. REFERENCES
Abbott, D.H (1993) Social conflict and reproductive suppression in
marmoset and tamarin monkeys. In Mason, W.A & Mendoza, S.P (eds) Primate
Social Conflict New York: State University of New York Press
Cohen, L.B & Dearborn, D.C (2004) Great frigatebirds, Fregate minor,
choose mates that are genetically similar Animal Behaviour 68, 1229-1236
Daniels, S.J & Walters, J.R (2000) Inbreeding depression and its
3
Details of conservation efforts at http://www.amur.org.uk/leopards.shtml and http://www.amur-
leopard.org/.
Animal Behaviour: Advantages and Disadvantages No.2; Kevin Brewer; 2009
ISBN: 978-1-904542-47-6 16
effects on natal dispersion in red-cockaded woodpeckers Condor 102, 482-491
Dietz, J.M & Baker, A.J (1993) Polygyny and female reproductive
success in golden lion tamarins, Leontopithecus rosalia Animal Behaviour
46, 1067-1078
Kokko, H & Ots, I (2006) When not to avoid inbreeding Evolution 60,
3, 467-475
2.1. INTRODUCTION
MALE
FEMALE
1. Monogamy
OFFSPRING STRATEGY
1. X
2. X
3. X
4. X
5. X X X X X X
6. X X X
7. X X X
2.2. MONOGAMY
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
↑ ↑
NO SELECTION PRESSURE STRONG SELECTION PRESSURE
ON MALES AS EPC PARTNER ON MALES AS EPC PARTNER
(After Birkhead and Moller 1996)
4
The plumage colour varies from pale yellow to bright red (Hill 1992).
Animal Behaviour: Advantages and Disadvantages No.2; Kevin Brewer; 2009
ISBN: 978-1-904542-47-6 26
was nest dispersion - all illegitimate nestlings were in
closely dispersed nests.
If there is no difference in plumage brightness and
cuckoldry, the authors asked, why would bright plumage
evolve in male house finches. One answer is that there
are more males than females (sex ratio of 1.52 males to
one female), and so males are competing to find a mate.
Also brighter plumage males mate earlier in the breeding
season (by as much as 100 days at the extremes), and this
would allow more broods per season.
5
Hue scores ranged from colourless (1) through yellow (2-4), orange (5-8), to red (9-11). Intensity was
scored from 1 to 8, and tone from 1 to 6 (Hill 1992).
Animal Behaviour: Advantages and Disadvantages No.2; Kevin Brewer; 2009
ISBN: 978-1-904542-47-6 27
cuckoldry" (Hill et al 1994 p194).
(* = U value must be less than critical value to be significant. Critical values taken
from Coolican 1990).
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
1. Does not need groups to be of 1. Not as efficient as parametric
equal size. tests.
MEAN MEDIAN
Definition Add up scores and divide Put data into order and
by number of scores. take middle number.
Advantages 1. Most sensitive 1. Shows exact middle
measure of central point with 50%
tendency. above/below.
(Source: Ltshears)
Figure 2.5 - White-handed gibbon.
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
1. To gain better genes. 1. Risk that male partner will
engage in EPC.
2. To gain a variety of genes,
particularly if inbreeding 2. Risk that partner may leave
involved. offspring (mate desertion).
Komers, P.E & Brotherton, P.N.M (1997) Female space use is the best
predictor of monogamy in mammals Proceedings of the Royal Society of London
B 264, 1261-1270
Moller, A.P (1988) Female choice selects for male sexual trait
ornaments in the monogamous swallow Nature 322, 640-642
3.1. INTRODUCTION
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
1. Indirect fitness with a 1. Cost to parents in terms of
greater chance of the offspring's less opportunity for feeding.
survival and their production of
offspring. 2. Cost to parents in terms of
less opportunity for mating and
2. To teach offspring key further offspring.
survival skills like food sources
and migration. 3. Risk to parents in protecting
offspring.
3. To protect offspring from
predators and aggressive 4. Offspring may not be able to
conspecifics (feeding fend for themselves when PPC
competition). ends.
low 0.1 20
0.3 30
0.5 45
0.8 65
high 1.0 75
MOTHER MOTHER
↓ ↓
4.1. INTRODUCTION
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
1. Convenient for females to 1. The system is open to
assess all the males in one place exploitation by poor quality
and choose the best quality. males who lurk near the best
quality males and attempt
2. Works well in normally forcible copulation.
geographically dispersed species
that come together at the 2. Best quality males may run out
breeding season only. of sperm for late-arriving
females.
3. Good quality males get to mate
with many females. 3. Risk of interference from
males in neighbouring leks.
4. No costs to males of
maintaining territory for long 4. Problem of best quality males
periods of time. being temporarily monopolised by
other females.
5. Females can mate in lek
without being harassed by other 5. Females do not know if males
males. with leks near centre are "honest
signals" of good quality.
6
Focal or point sampling records what is happening at a particular moment in time, while behaviour
sampling records every occasion of a particular behaviour.
Animal Behaviour: Advantages and Disadvantages No.2; Kevin Brewer; 2009
ISBN: 978-1-904542-47-6 44
A lek is like a "male beauty contest" for the
females. Comparison is possible to aid the choice of
males. What are the characteristics of males that improve
their mating success in this "beauty contest"? Many
studies have looked at individual species using "vote
counting" (ie: number of matings) as success. Fiske et al
(1998) sought to establish the general patterns of male
mating success in leks using a "bare-bones" meta-analysis
(Hunter and Schnidt 1990) of forty-eight studies.
Table 4.3 summarises the characteristics analysed.
4.3. REFERENCES
Beehler, B.M & Foster, M.S (1988) Hotspots, hotspots and female
preference in the organisation of lek mating strategies American Naturalist
131, 203-219
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
MALES 1. Pleasure. 1. Waste of sperm and cost of
replenishing supply.
2. Strengthens the bond
in monogamous species. 2. Energy costs of sex.
4. Female sexual
competition by reducing
sperm of male available
to other females.
5. Pleasure.