P300

1. Suppose we note that four species of birds (jays) that live at high elevations all cache food (put food in storage/hiding places to be retrieved later). We hypothesize that food-caching is an adaptation to living at high elevations because the stored food will take tide the bird over through the long harsh winters until spring finally arrives. Sure enough when we compare the four high-elevation species of jay with six closely related species, we find that high elevation species are the species that cache food: species A, B, C and D live at high elevations and cache, while species E, F, G, H, I and J live at low elevations and do not cache. But suppose we are unsure of the phylogeny of the group, and know only that it is probably one of two possible phylogenies shown below. Dark lines indicate reconstructions of jays living at high elevations (and caching). Let’s make the reasonable assumption that caching is not the ancestral condition. Concerning the hypothesis that caching is an adaptation to high altitude living

A supports it more strongly

B supports in more strongly

Both support the hypothesis equally

Cannot be determined on the basis of the information presented

2. Suppose you have discovered three species in all of which males attract females for mating by displaying in pairs (like American turkeys or the manakins discussed in Alcock Chapt 3) but in which the subsequent matings are apportioned very differently. In species A, one male does all the mating. In species B, the two males alternate, one male mating with the first female to arrive, the other male mating with the second female, and so on. In species C, the two males both mate with each female. Question 1: Case C is most likely explained as:

Kin selection

Reciprocal altruism

Simple cooperation

A and b

3. Suppose you have discovered three species in all of which males attract females for mating by displaying in pairs (like American turkeys or the manakins discussed in Alcock Chapt 3) but in which the subsequent matings are apportioned very differently. In species A, one male does all the mating. In species B, the two males alternate, one male mating with the first female to arrive, the other male mating with the second female, and so on. In species C, the two males both mate with each female. Question 2: Which of the three cases and explanations would require the largest difference between how well a displaying pair does compared to a single displaying male?

Species A

Species B

Species C

Can’t say on the basis of this information

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