Ecology: the study of the relationship between animals and their environment<\/p>\n
Behaviorual ecology: animal behaviors and their environment<\/p>\n
Socioecology: relationship of an animal\u2019s social behaviour and their environment<\/p>\n
Ecological niche: aspects of an animal\u2019s environment that are critical to than animal\u2019s survival \uf0e0 mating opportunities, food source, etc.<\/p>\n
\uf0b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Look at socially close species and their behavioural patterns, and then differences in the aspects of the environment that pertain to survival. Then they look at ecological niche.<\/p>\n
Socioecology \uf0e0 Largest study was Weaver Birds they are a type of finches. They are composed of 90 subspecies. Great diverse behaviour patterns within these subspecies<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Crook: did the bulk of studies in socioecology. Studied mating strategies and other social behaviour.<\/p>\n
Group behaviour of Weaver birds: tend to be solitary. Spend life alone or with mate, and others travel in large flocks (gregarious flock). Solitary vs. gregarious<\/p>\n
Mating patterns: some species are monogamous (stay with the same mate for a whole season), and some stay with them longer. Some are polygamous (one male, multiple females).<\/p>\n
Parenting: some Weaver birds share parental responsibilities (guarding the nest, feeding the babies), and in others, solely the female remains behind to take care of the babies. Monogamous ones are the ones that shared parental responsibilities.<\/p>\n
Sex differences: sexual dimorphism \uf0e0 differences between sexes in the species other than in terms of reproductive apparatus. Differences in size, plumage etc. Males are more aggressive than females.<\/p>\n
The critical ecological variables underlying these differences were 2:<\/p>\n
Analyzed how these ecological differences determined behaviour.<\/p>\n
Species in the forest lived mainly on insects \uf0e0 they are a dispersed food source (scattered evenly around the terrain). It is more adaptive for the animal to forage ALONE. Weaver birds in the forest divide the habitat into territories that are occupied by a single bird or pair.<\/p>\n
Birds who traveled in groups would not survive in the food source that is dispersed \uf0e0 find a food source, and can only feed one or 2 birds.<\/p>\n
Weaver birds in open plains (savanna) feed on grain, and grain is a patchy food source \uf0e0 spread wider, and is in abundant quantities when it is found. Increased likelihood of finding food if the group searches together than solitary.<\/p>\n
Predation<\/p>\n
[Hamilton]: proposed an alternative called the geometry of the selfish herd \u2013 began his paper with a drawing of a circle saying it is a pond where frogs come to feed.<\/p>\n
\uf0e0 They are open to predation if they are around a pond<\/p>\n
Squeeze yourself between 4 frogs, and it will be more difficult to get picked out when you are surrounded by other frogs<\/p>\n
Problem: not the whole story. It breaks down in many species (the gazelle) \u2013 when they see a predator, they stomp to warn the rest of the herd, even if they are risking their own survival.<\/p>\n
Mucks Oxen: form a circle, and the females and offspring go in the middle, and the predator moves away because it looks too dangerous.<\/p>\n
Starlings: shadow of a predator bird appears, or any other sign of a predator \u2013 they close ranks. The flock flies widely apart, so they look like one big mass \uf0e0 more difficult for the predator animal to grab one.<\/p>\n
Parenting<\/p>\n
The Weaver bird spends most of its time looking for food \u2013 and when they have offspring it takes up a lot of energy.<\/p>\n
For a weaverbird in a savannah is redundant, because there is plenty of food for every bird.<\/p>\n
Females can bear a limited # of offspring, and you have: Male on male reproductive competition \uf0e0 males compete for reproductive rights and mating privileges.<\/p>\n
The females exercise choice, the female is the one who expresses willingness\/permission.<\/p>\n
Other reproductive patterns are harems: males have their own selection of females. Alpha Baboons have a harem.<\/p>\n
The elephant seal: males come to shore, and battle for preferred areas closer to the females. The larger males win, and when the females come, they will keep them for themselves in a harem.<\/p>\n
Bower Bird: build bowers (little shelter) with coloured rocks in their habitat, and try to build a nice shelter.<\/p>\n
They sing in these shelters, and the females walk around these shelters looking for the best shelter\/song.<\/p>\n
Hypergamy: females mate upward in status, and males must compete with other males (symbolic as well) or by demonstrating capacity and strength. Females look at mates by their capacity to gain resources.<\/p>\n
Polygyny: the fittest males will mate with multiple females, and there will be a supply of unwanted males at the bottom. Most are losers!<\/p>\n
Why is the reverse not the rule? (polyandry):<\/p>\n
Sex differences<\/p>\n
Weaver birds \u2013 Female selection in males for whatever trait relates to fitness. Males in reproduction competition will tend to get bigger \uf0e0 sexual dimorphism in males vs. female in size and strength.<\/p>\n
Males larger than females, and the plumage was more prominent.<\/p>\n
The more male v. male competition, the greater the difference between the size of the sexes will occur. –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Baboons and Elephant seals \u2013 females are a third of the size than males<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In monogamous species (birds, beavers, elephants) with less intense reproductive competition, you get less size difference\/dimorphism.<\/p>\n
Sexual dimorphism also occurs in the presence of horns, and behaviour \u2013 more aggressive, assertive male.<\/p>\n
One problem: plumage in male birds (peacock, for ex) does not seem adaptive. It is maladaptive at first glance \uf0e0 it attracts predators, and it is a heavy load for the animal to carry –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They still prevail, and females enjoy this display.<\/p>\n
Zahabi: has a theory to this. The handicap principle \uf0e0 he is advertising is courage and strength both to females and other males. \u201cI can carry this on by back and accomplish more\/the same as you do\u201d.<\/p>\n
Silverman: risk-taking \u2013 human parallel to this. It is done from early childhood in little boys to life. Girls seem to like this<\/p>\n
Review:<\/p>\n
2 basic social structures \u2013 solitary vs. monogamous. Not much aggression in males, sexual dimorphism etc.<\/p>\n
This stems from food sources and predation.<\/p>\n
Variations on these styles, but can be explained by variation in food sources. Live in couples when there is dispersed, and have large flocks in other parts of the year.<\/p>\n
Another variation is when food supplies fluctuate \uf0e0 depends on the whether \u2013 you get 2 personality types in the male. One that is monogamous, and the other which is competitive and polygamous. Different members of the pop\u2019n passing on different patterns<\/p>\n
The human case<\/p>\n
Today, most societies are polygynous, some more explicitly or implicitly. –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Usually males that copulate outside the pair-bond.<\/p>\n
Sexual dimorphism is in humans as well: competitiveness, aggressiveness etc.<\/p>\n
Competition in female size \uf0e0 females are bigger.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ecology: the study of the relationship between animals and their environment Behaviorual ecology: animal behaviors and their environment Socioecology: relationship of an animal\u2019s social behaviour and their environment Ecological… Continue Reading Ecology<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[109],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4326"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4326"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4326\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}