Ant Human Evolution Test #2 Primate Behavior

Front 1

Ecology

Back 1

The relationship between its species and its environment

Front 2

2 main concerns of any organism

Back 2

1) Finding food
2) Avoid becoming food

Front 3

Basal metabolism

Back 3

Rate at which an animal expends energy to maintain life when at rest

Front 4

Active metabolism

Back 4

energy requirements above base line - when organism is active

Front 5

Growth rate

Back 5

energetic demands associated with growth and development

Front 6

Reproductive effort

Back 6

energy requirements associated with conception, gestation, lactation

Front 7

Characterize the relationship between basal metabolic rate and body size

Back 7

- larger animals require require more calories than smaller animals, but fewer calories per unity of body weight
- small animals have higher energy requirements than large animals & require small amounts of high-quality foods that can be processed quickly

Front 8

Identify the main sources of carbohydrates and protein for primates

Back 8

Carbs = simple sugars in fruit or gum → energy
Protein = insects or young leaves → growth, reproduction, regulation of body functions

Front 9

Why is ingesting proteins important for primates?

Back 9

Primates cannot synthesize amino acids from simpler molecules in order to produce proteins, and so they must ingest them

Front 10

Relationship between diet and body size

Back 10

Energy requirements leads to body size
insectivores smaller than frugivores smaller than foliovores

Front 11

Discuss how these dietary differences impact the complexity of the gut

Back 11

insectivores: simple digestive tract
carnivores: simple digestive tract
omnivores: ???
frugivores: simple digestive tract, larger species have large stomachs to hold leaves consumed
gumivores: short, relatively simple digestive tract & a small body size
foliovores: b/c primates cannot directly digest cellulose, they have colonies of microorganisms inside the cecum (part of digestive tract) which break down cellulose

Front 12

Home range vs. territory

Back 12

- Home ranges = a relatively fixed area that contains all the resources for feeding, resting, and sleeping
- Territories = contains all the same resources, except it is defended → maintenance of exclusive access to mates and food

Front 13

When territories will be defended
and
what are the costs and benefits of doing so

Back 13

**When benefits outweigh the costs b/c of measure of individual ability to survive and reproduce → depends largely on spatial and seasonal distribution of resources
Costs:
constant vigilance
defense of resources
increased within-group competition
Benefits:
prevents exploitation by outsiders

Front 14

Social organization varies in...

Back 14

size, age-sex composition, and degree of cohesiveness

Front 15

5 types of social organization

Back 15

- 1 male, multi-female (gorillas)
- 1 female, multi-male
- Multi-male, multi-female (chimpanzees)
- 1 male, 1 female (gibbons)
- Solitary = multiple females within the territory of a male, come together and disperse (Orangutans)

Front 16

When is defense of food profitable?

Back 16

When:
Food items are relatively valuable
Food resources are spatially/temporally clumped
Enough food for several individuals

Front 17

(3) Costs and (2) benefits of social life
3 Ds

Back 17

Costs:
- More competition for food/mates
- More vulnerable to disease
- Various hazards like cannibalism, cuckoldry, incest, infanticide

Benefits:
- Safety from predation → Detection Deterrence Dilution
- Greater ability to acquire/control resources