Deck 14: Parental Care

Question 1

You quantify mean egg size for three species of fish. For species A, mean egg size is 0.6 mm diameter; for species B, mean egg size is 0.4 mm diameter; and for species C, mean egg size is 0.2 mm diameter. Based on the life history data collected by Vila-Gispert, Moreno-Amich, and García-Berthou (2002), what prediction can you make about relative levels of parental care in these species?

A) A will most likely exhibit the greatest level of care.
B) B will most likely exhibit the greatest level of care.
C) C will most likely exhibit the greatest level of care.
D) All species will exhibit the same low level of care.
E) None of the species will exhibit parental care.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is predicted by sexual conflict theory?

A) The sex with the more efficient immune system should provide more care.
B) The sex that is larger should provide less parental care.
C) The sex that is larger should produce the smaller gametes.
D) The sex with the higher cost of parental care should provide less care.
E) The sex with the higher cost of care should have the longer life span.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What factor affected the level of care in male blue-footed boobies?

A) Male size
B) Certainty of paternity b. Certainty of paternity
C) Female size
D) Female fecundity
E) Level of predation risk

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Male-only care is rare in birds but relatively common in fish. What two factors are hypothesized to explain this difference?

A) Evolutionary age and body size
B) Mode of fertilization and termination of growth
C) Respiratory physiology and body size
D) Reproductive potential and length of the breeding season
E) Mating system and sex ratio

Question 5

Male-only care is rare in insects with internal fertilization but is found in the giant water bug. What hypothesis explains this observation?

A) Males mate exclusively with one female.
B) Males mate repeatedly with a female whose eggs he cares for.
C) Females are physiologically incapable of providing care.
D) Females would cannibalize eggs if males did not provide care.
E) Only males can defend eggs from predators.

Question 6

What hormone is associated with high levels of parental care in birds and mammals?

A) Testosterone
B) Estradiol
C) Progesterone
D) Juvenile hormone
E) Prolactin

Question 7

In earwigs, high levels of parental care are associated with which of the following?

A) Low levels of testosterone
B) High levels of prolactin
C) Low levels of estradiol
D) High levels of luteinizing hormone
E) Low levels of juvenile hormone

Question 8

In treehoppers, there is variation in the amount of care provided to offspring. What hypothesis explains this variation?

A) Sexual selection theory
B) Predation risk-energy intake rate trade-off theory
C) Sexual conflict theory
D) Parent-offspring conflict theory
E) Parental care theory

Question 9

What trade-off did Zink (2003) observe in treehoppers?

A) Females that provided abundant care to their first clutch were less likely to produce a second clutch of eggs.
B) If males provided a high level of care for a clutch, females provided a low level.
C) Young females provided higher levels of care than did older females.
D) Populations exhibited either high or low levels of parental care.
E) Individuals that took the greatest risks obtained the highest fitness.

Question 10

In common eiders, experimentally increased current reproduction was associated with which of the following?

A) Reduced prior reproduction
B) Enhanced lifetime reproduction
C) Increased predation risk
D) Reduced future reproduction
E) Enhanced variation in life history traits

Question 11

What factor is hypothesized to affect the degree of brood reduction in species with hatch asynchrony?

A) The level of predation risk
B) The level of food resources
C) The degree of genetic variation in offspring
D) The existence of extra-pair offspring
E) The mating system of the species

Question 12

Interspecific brood parasites ____________.

A) increase the reproductive success of another species
B) affect the immune system of a different species
C) fertilize the eggs of heterospecifics
D) enhance the fitness of a heterospecific species
E) lay eggs in the nest of heterospecifics

Question 13

One benefit of brood parasitism is reduced parental care. How might this affect a brood parasite relative to a species that is not a brood parasite?

A) The brood parasite will have higher current reproduction.
B) The brood parasite will have lower future reproduction.
C) The brood parasite will experience greater sexual selection.
D) The brood parasite will experience greater sexual conflict.
E) The brood parasite will experience greater parent-offspring conflict.

Question 14

Most mammals and birds exhibit female-biased parental. Why?

Question 15

What two factors promote the evolution of male-biased parental care in many fish?

Question 16

Describe one prediction of parent-offspring conflict theory in regards to the level of care provided to current and future offspring.

Question 17

Explain how brood reduction (the death of an offspring), can enhance the fitness of a parent?

Question 18

Which of Tinbergen's four questions was addressed in the study by Rankin, Fox, & Stotsky (1995) on parental care in earwigs?