Primate Ecology
Terms
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- Basal Metabolic Rate
- The rate at which an animal expends energy to maintain life while at rest. Large animals have a higher BMR than smaller animals, but require less energy (Calories) per unit of body weight.
- How are male dominance hierarchies different from female dominance hierarchies?
- Male reproductive success depends on access to females, not food, and since males cannot share food, competition is more intense and in constant flux.
- How do monkeys and apes get protein and carbohyrdates?
- Protein: insects and young leaves Carbohydrates: fruit
- How do most primates get their protein?
- From insects or young leaves.
- How do Prosimians get protein and carbohydrates?
- Protein: insects Carbohydrates: gum
- How do Territorial primates defend their territories?
- By vocalizing and fighting intruders.
- If contest competition within groups is stronger than contest competition between groups females will:
- Remain in their natal groups and cooperate with their kin.
- If resources are abundant, will primates be territorial?
- Will not be territorial, lack of competition defeats purpose.
- If resources are scarce and clumped, will primates be territorial?
- Will be territorial, rare and easy to defend.
- If resources are scarce and scattered, will primates be territorial?
- Will not be territorial, too hard to defend.
- Sizes of the primates who eat the three different types of diets:
- Insectivores: smallest, frugivores: medium, Follivores: largest. Larger animals can afford to eat lower-quality food because smaller animals have higher energy demands than do larger ones. The require small amounts of high-energy food that can be proce
- The number of males in a group correlates with what two factors?
- Group size and the synchrony of female fertility.
- The total amount of energy an animal requires is depends on what?
- Basal metabolism, active metabolism, growth rate, ad reproductive effort.
- What are some non territorial primates?
- Squirrel monkeys, and macaques.
- What are some strategies against predation?
- Alarm calls, living in large groups, holding very still, and living in inter-species groups.
- What are the benefits of sociality?
- Predator defense and ability to acquire and control food.
- What are the costs of group living?
- Limited food supply within groups, high visibility to predators, aggression between group members, and the spread of disease.
- What are the three Ds of predator defense?
- Detection (more eyes), Deterrence (mobbing/chasing/alarms), and Dilution (decreased individual risk of death.)
- What are the two main causes for territoriality?
- Resource and reproductive defense.
- What competition situation causes females stay in their natal group?
- Strong contest competition within either within or between groups (or both within and between.)
- What constitutes a "territory" for a primate?
- nesting, feeding, resting, sleeping, and travel sites.
- What is a Philopatry?
- The sex that stays within a group at maturity.
- What is Direct Contest Competition?
- Where food is concentrated.
- What is Scramble Competition?
- When food is first-come, first-serve, and dispersed widely.
- What is the main factor for female reproductive success?
- Access to food.
- What is the main factor for male reproductive success?
- Access to females.
- What may happen when nonterritoral primate groups meet?
- Fighting, exclusion of low-ranking groups from resources, peaceful mingling (rare), or avoidance.
- What other factor can also increase the number of males in a group?
- Pressure from predators can lead to more males.
- When are dominance hierarchies most visible and stable?
- When competition within a group is strongest.
- When between-group and within-group contest competition are equal, females will:
- Be an intermediate between kin support/high rank striving and egalitarian social group living.
- When between-group contest competition is stronger than within-group females will:
- Be less likely to support kin or strive for a high rank, but still remain within the natal group.
- When does resource defense territorality occur?
- When resources are limited, clumped, and defensible.
- When will primates be territorial?
- When the benefits outweigh the costs of being so.
- Which primates rely on gum?
- Galagos, marmosets, and tamarins.
- Who is Carl vanShaik?
- vanShaik believes that predator pressure is the main reason for group living.
- Who is Richard Wrangham?
- Wrangham believes that groups are created because of pressure for food and is concerned with direct contest competition.
- Why do females have low reproductive potential?
- Because they produce few gametes and are obligated to gestation and lactation.
- Why do females help their kin members in dominance competitions?
- Because a kin member will be then able to defeat everyone its relative can defeat.
- Why do males usually invest the lowest necessary amount of parenting?
- Because additional matings are readily available and male parenting may have little effect on offspring survivalship.
- Why is inbreeding avoided?
- Offspring of inbreeding are less likely to survive.
- Why is it important for a female or male primate to be dominant?
- Female dominants get access to more food, and males to more mates. Both of these things are respectively responsible for reproductive success.
- Why is territoriality beneficial?
- It prevents outsiders from exploiting the limited resources within.
- Why is territoriality costly?
- Defending territories takes a lot of time and energy. Members must constantly advertise their presence, search for and be prepared to fight off intruders.
- Why to males have high reproductive potential?
- Because they produce scores of gametes and are not parentally obligated.