Lecture 7 Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Lecture 7 Deck (30)
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1
Q

what are the Benefits of group life:

A

Direct access to mates
increased acquisition and control of resources
protection from predation through the “three D’s:” detection, deterrence and dilution

2
Q

what is detection

A

(can detect the predators)

3
Q

what is deterrence

A

(detters any attack from predators)

4
Q

what is dilution

A

(diluting the effect, reducing the effect, that a predator can have on a group… the bigger the group the less an attack will impact them)

5
Q

what are the Drawbacks to group life

A

increased likelihood of disease transmission

dramatically increased competition for resources and mating partners

6
Q

what are the Types of Primate Social Organization

A

solitary
females and offspring form tight groups and the males are left no the outside
pair-‐bonded (monogamous)
one female, many males (polyandry)
one male, many females (one-male polygyny)
many dominant males, many females (multi-male polygyny

7
Q

How does sexual reproduction and sexual selection factor into the social lives of primates in within these groups?

A

Understanding sexual reproduction and care for offspring within primate societies can shed light on the evolution of human social development

8
Q

Why wouldn’t males always be more involved in child-rearing?

A

The benefits of child-‐rearing must be weighed against the benefits of continuing to mate with available females.
Cost vs. benefit

9
Q

Absent fathers are selected for when two conditions are met:

A
  1. there is widespread availability of, and access to, additional females
  2. females within the group are generally able to raise offspring as well as when both parents are present
10
Q

Why are females the only sole caregivers?

A
  1. The investment of time and energy related to pregnancy

2. The ability to lactate

11
Q

Primate gestation periods are, compared with those of most mammals, relatively long, from between 59 days to 9 months
This is due primarily to:

A

1) size of the mother

2) brain development of the infant

12
Q

do Most primate young remain dependent for longer periods

A

Most primate young remain dependent for longer periods than do the young of most mammals

13
Q

what is lactational amenorrhea

A

reducing or eliminating their fertility from between one to three years

14
Q

do female primates experience lactational amenorrhea

A

yes

15
Q

Why are long pregnancies, long periods of infant dependency and lack of fertility while nursing selected for?

A
  1. Primate young require additional attention

2. Most nonhuman primates can continue reproducing very late in life

16
Q

Phenotypic differences between males and females within a species are characterized as what

A

sexual dimorphism

17
Q

what is sexual dimorphism

A

an adaptive response to competition between males for access to females.

18
Q

The degree of difference between males and females relates directly to what

A

the type of social organization present

19
Q

Sexual dimorphism is most exaggerated within what kind of group

A

one-male polygynous primate groups.
This is due to regular challenges to the resident dominant male by itinerant “bachelors
these groups are forming and then try and break in and overthrow the alpha male

20
Q

Among solitary primates, the degree of sexual dimorphism is;

A

high

21
Q

degree of sexual dimorphism is low where

A

it is low among polyandrous New World monkeys;

22
Q

what is sexual dimorphism like within groups comprised of multiple males and multiple females

A

it varies a lot

why? there is no competition, the animals do not care who has the offspring, as long as everyone pitches in and help to raise them when they come

23
Q

Pair-‐bonded species, such as gibbons, have the ______ degree of sexual dimorphism among primates.

A

lowest

24
Q

what is the degree of human sexual dimorphism like

A

The degree of human sexual dimorphism is relatively low; among primates, it lies between that of pair-bonded and polygynous species.
This indicates that some degree of regular competition for mates has played a significant role in human social development.

25
Q

what is Infanticide

A

is the purposeful killing of infants within a group

26
Q

infanticide is often part of the transition of dominance within a group; new dominant males will kill infants to;

A

1) free mothers for procreation

2) ensure that all infants within the group are his

27
Q

Dominant females in _______ groups will sometimes commit infanticide for similar reasons

A

polyandrous

28
Q

Dominant females in polyandrous groups will sometimes commit infanticide for similar reasons, why is this

A

they want to ensure the they know who the father is so they can get investment…

29
Q

The complex social relationships that typify primate social organization are closely related to what

A

cognition

30
Q

Natural selection favors the ability to what from peers

A

Natural selection favors the ability to both innovate and learn innovative techniques from peers