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| The neural signal; a self-regenerating change in membrane electrical charge that travels the length of a nerve cell. |
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| A characteristic that confers higher inclusive fitness to individuals than any other existing alternative exhibited by other individuals within the population; a trait that has spread or is spreading or is being maintained in a population as a result of natural selection or indirect selection. |
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| A behavioral biologist who develops and tests hypotheses on the possible adaptive value of a particular trait. Persons using an adaptationist approach test whether a given trait enables individuals to propagate their special genes more effectively than if they were to behave in some other manner. |
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| The contribution that a trait or gene makes to inclusive fitness. |
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| A form of a gene; different alleles typically code for distinctive variants of the same enzyme. |
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| Helpful behavior that raises the recipient's direct fitness while lowering the donor's direct fitness. |
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| The view that human behavior is the arbitrary product of whatever cultural traditions people are exposed to within their society; thus, out actions are not expected to be explicable in evolutionary terms. |
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| Associated Reproductive Pattern |
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Definition
| A seasonal change in reproductive behavior that is tightly correlated with changes in the gonads and hormones in contrast to a dissociated reproductive pattern in which the onset of reproductive behavior is apparently not triggered by a sharp change in circulating hormones. |
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| An internal physiological mechanism that enables organisms to time any of a wide assortment of biological processes and activities. |
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| An animal that exploits the parental care of individuals other than it's parents. |
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| An explanation for a maladaptive or nonadaptive attribute that is said to occur as a by product of a proximate mechanism that has some other adaptive consequence for individuals. |
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| In the scientific method, a question about the cause of a natural phenomenon. |
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| Central pattern generator |
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| A group of cells in the CNS that produce a particular pattern of signals necessary for a functional behavioral response. |
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| An roughly 24-hour cycle of behavior that expresses itself independent of environmental changes. |
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| An annual cycle of behavior that expresses itself independent of environmental changes. |
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| Coefficient of Relatedness (r) |
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Definition
| The probability that an allele present in one individual will be present in a close relative; the proportion of the total genotype of one individual present in the other, as the result of shared ancestry. |
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| A neural cluster or an integrated set of clusters that has a primary responsibility for the control of a particular behavioral activity. |
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| The cooperative transfer of information from a signaler to a receiver. |
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| A procedure for testing evolutionary hypotheses based on disciplined comparisons among species known as evolutionary relationships. |
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| The independent acquisition over time through natural selection of similar characteristics in two or more unrelated species. |
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| A mutually helpful action. |
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| A method for studying the adaptive value of alternative traits based on the recognition that phenotypes come with fitness costs and benefits; an adaptation that has a better cost/benefit ratio than alternatives of that trait. |
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| A phase in an animal's life when certain experiences are particularly likely to have a potent developmental effect. |
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| The ability of a female in receipt of sperm from more than one male to choose whose sperm to get to fertilize her eggs. |
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| A trait that appears to reduce the fitness of individuals that posses it; traits of this sort attract the attention evolutionary biologists. |
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| Developmental Homeostasis |
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Definition
| The capacity of developmental mechanisms within individuals to produce adaptive traits, despite potentially disruptive effects of mutant genes and suboptimal environmental conditions. |
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| Safety in numbers that comes from swamping the ability of local predators to consume prey. |
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| Having two copies of each gene (and two copies of each chromosome) in one's genotype. |
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| A stereotyped action used as a communication signal by individuals. |
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| The evolution by natural selection of differences among closely related species that live in different environments and therefore are subject to different evolutionary pressures. |
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| A social ranking within a group, in which some individuals give way to others, often conceding useful resources to others without a fight. |
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| The re-setting of a biological clock so that an organism's activities are scheduled in keeping with local conditions. |
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| The study of the proximate mechanisms and adaptive value of animal behavior. |
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| Refers to groups that contain specialized nonreproducing castes that work for the reproductive members of the society. |
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| The study of the adaptive value of psychological mechanisms, especially of human beings; a key component of sociobiology. |
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| That aspect of a trait that tends to raise the inclusive fitness of individuals. |
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| The aspect of a trait that tends to decrease the inclusive fitness of individuals. |
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| Explosive breeding assemblage |
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Definition
| The temporary formation of large groups of mating individuals. |
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| A mating by an individual with someone other than their primary partner (in a monogamous relationship). |
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| Female Preference Hypothesis |
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Definition
| An explanation for the formation of leks in which females prefer to choose mates from a group rather than by inspecting them one by one. |
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| Fertility Insurance Hypothesis |
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Definition
| An explanation for why females might mate with more than one male per breeding cycle with the benefit being an increase in egg fertilization rate. |
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| A measure of the genes contributed to the next generation by an individual, often stated in terms of the number of surviving offspring produced by the individual. |
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| The genes contributed by an individual via personal reproduction in the bodies of the offspring. |
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| The genes contributed by an individual indirectly by helping nondescendent kin, in effect without creating relatives that would not have existed without the help of the individual. |
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| The sum of an individual's direct and indirect fitness. |
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| That aspect of a trait that tends to raise the inclusive fitness of individuals. |
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| That aspect of a trait that tends to lower the inclusive fitness of individuals. |
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| An innate, highly stereotyped response that is triggered by a well-defined, simple stimulus; once the pattern is activated, the response is preformed in it's entirety. |
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| The cycle of activity that is expressed by an individual in a constant environment. |
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| An evolutionary approach to the study of adaptive value in which the payoffs to the individuals associated with one behavioral tactic are dependent on what other members of the group are doing. |
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| A segment of DNA, typically one that encodes information about the sequence of amino acids that makes up a protein. |
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| The ability of genes present in some sperm to complement the genes present in some eggs, increasing the likelihood of the development of superior offspring. |
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| The genetic constitution of an individual; may refer to the alleles of one gene possessed by the individual or to its complete set of genes. |
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| The argument that mate choice advances the individual fitness because it provides the offspring of choosy individuals with genes that promote reproductive success by advancing the offspring's chances of survival or reproductive success. |
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| An explanation for female preferences for males who's behavior or appearance indicate that they are more likely to provide above average parental care. |
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| The argument made by WD Hamilton that altruism can spread through a population with r>c |
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| an explanation for female preferences for males whose appearance or behavior signals that these are unlikely to transmit diseases |
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| an area that an animal occupies but does not defend |
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| a male who is particularly attractive to females |
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| a location that attracts females to the spot |
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| a tentative explanation that requires testing |
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| the distribution of individuals in space that are free to choose where to go in ways that could maximize their fitness |
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| the tendency of inbred organisms to have lower fitness than non inbred members of the same species |
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| Innate Releasing Mechanism |
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Definition
| a hypothetical neural mechanism thought to control an innate response to a sign stimulus. |
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| a behavior pattern that develops in most individuals, promoting a functional response to a releaser stimulus. |
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| a nerve cell that relays messages in between neurons |
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| capacity of an individual to react differently to others that it is genetically related to (nepotism) |
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| Material Benefits Hypothesis |
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| an explanation for why females of some species might mate with several males over a breeding cycle with benefits coming to polyandrous females because they gain access ti the material benefits controlled by multiple males. |
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| females prevent their partners from acquiring extraneous mates |
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| males gain more fitness by offering parental care for the offspring than seeking additional partners |
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| males prevent additional matings to their female |
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| a kind of learning based on trial and error, the behavior that is being rewarded becomes more frequently preformed |
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| the ratio of receptive males to receptive females |
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| an evolutionary theory based on the assumption that the attributes of organisms are optimal, better than others in terms of fitness costs; the theory is used to generate hypotheses about the possible adaptive value of traits in terms of the net fitness gained |
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| parent-offspring conflict |
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Definition
| the clash of interests that occurs when parents can gain fitness by withholding parental care or resources from some offspring to benefit others now or later, even thought the deprived offspring would benefit from parental care. |
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| a proximate mechanism of kin discrimination in which an individual's behavior toward another is based on how similar they are |
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| females attracted to location |
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| resource defense polygyny |
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Definition
| females attracted to resources |
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| scramble competition polygyny |
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| polygyny threshhold model |
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| an explanation for polygyny based on the premise that females will gain fitness by mating with an already paired male if the resources controlled by that male outweigh those of a single male |
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| a game theory construct in which the fitness payoffs to individuals are set such that a mutual cooperation generates a lower return than defection, which occurs when one individual accepts assistance and does not return the favor |
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| an immediate, underlying cause based on the operation of internal mechanisms possessed by an individual |
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| a hypothesis that has been tested and accepted or rejected based on the test results |
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| attempts of males to exploit female mate choice mechanisms |
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| frequency dependent selection |
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Definition
| lower frequency individuals become more fit because they are less available |
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| frequency dependent selection |
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Definition
| lower frequency individuals become more fit because they are less available |
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| female preference creates a feedback loop with males that have the traits and the females that prefer them |
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| when a signaler is able to tap into pre existing sensitivity in the system of the reciever |
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| females compete for access to males |
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| neurons ignore some stimuli |
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| set of rules for animal behavior |
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| a set of rules that enables individuals to use different tactics under different environmental conditions, the inhereted behavioral capacity to be be flexible in response to certain cues |
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| evolutionary stable strategy |
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| set of rule when adopted cannot be replaced |
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| area an animal occupies and defends |
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| the view that social units form as a result of the ability of individuals to negitiate for reprductive opportunities; concession theory is derived from the transactional approach based on the premise that dominant members of the group concede some reproductive rights to others in the group so they can stay |
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| the evolutionary, historical reason why something is the way it is |
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