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Ch. 51 Animal Behavior
Campbell - Campbell Biology 12th Edition
Urry12th EditionCampbell BiologyISBN: 9785794169850Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksUrry 12th EditionCh. 51 Animal BehaviorProblem 3
Chapter 51, Problem 3

Female spotted sandpipers aggressively court males and, after mating, leave the clutch of young for the male to incubate. This sequence may be repeated several times with different males until no available males remain, forcing the female to incubate her last clutch. Which of the following terms best describes this behavior?
a. Polygyny
b. Polyandry
c. Promiscuity
d. Certainty of paternity

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1
Understand the definitions of the terms provided in the options: a. Polygyny refers to a mating system where one male mates with multiple females. b. Polyandry refers to a mating system where one female mates with multiple males. c. Promiscuity involves both males and females having multiple mating partners without forming a stable pair bond. d. Certainty of paternity refers to the assurance a male has that he is the genetic father of the offspring.
Analyze the behavior described in the problem: The female spotted sandpiper mates with multiple males and leaves each male to incubate the eggs, repeating this process with different males.
Compare the behavior to the definitions: The behavior of the female mating with multiple males aligns with the definition of polyandry, where one female mates with several males.
Consider the role of the male in this behavior: The males are left to incubate the eggs, which is consistent with the female's strategy of mating with multiple partners and not forming a stable pair bond with any single male.
Conclude which term best describes the behavior: Based on the analysis, the term that best describes the behavior of the female spotted sandpiper is 'polyandry'.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Polyandry

Polyandry is a mating system where a female mates with multiple males. In the context of the spotted sandpipers, the female courts several males and leaves them to incubate her eggs, which is a classic example of polyandry. This strategy can increase genetic diversity and the chances of offspring survival.

Mating Systems

Mating systems refer to the patterns of mating behavior and reproductive strategies in animals. They include monogamy, polygyny, polyandry, and promiscuity. Understanding these systems helps explain the reproductive roles and strategies of different species, such as the female spotted sandpiper's behavior of mating with multiple males.
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Certainty of Paternity

Certainty of paternity is the assurance a male has that he is the genetic father of the offspring he is caring for. In species with polyandrous systems, like the spotted sandpiper, males may have lower certainty of paternity, as females mate with multiple males, potentially leading to mixed paternity within a clutch.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Which of the following is true of innate behaviors?

a. Their expression is only weakly influenced by genes.

b. They occur with or without environmental stimuli.

c. They are expressed in most individuals in a population.

d. They occur in invertebrates and some vertebrates but not mammals.

Textbook Question

According to Hamilton's rule,

a. Natural selection does not favor altruistic behavior that causes the death of the altruist.

b. Natural selection favors altruistic acts when the resulting benefit to the recipient, corrected for relatedness, exceeds the cost to the altruist.

c. Natural selection is more likely to favor altruistic behavior that benefits an offspring than altruistic behavior that benefits a sibling.

d. The effects of kin selection are larger than the effects of direct natural selection on individuals.

Textbook Question

A region of the canary forebrain shrinks during the nonbreeding season and enlarges when breeding season begins. This change is probably associated with the annual

a. Addition of new syllables to a canary's song repertoire

b. Crystallization of subsong into adult songs

c. Sensitive period in which canary parents imprint on new offspring

d. Elimination of the memorized template for songs sung the previous year

Textbook Question

Although many chimpanzees live in environments with oil palm nuts, members of only a few populations use stones to crack open the nuts. The likely explanation is that

a. The behavioral difference is caused by genetic differences between populations.

b. Members of different populations have different nutritional requirements.

c. The cultural tradition of using stones to crack nuts has arisen in only some populations.

d. Members of different populations differ in learning ability.

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Textbook Question

Which of the following is not required for a behavioral trait to evolve by natural selection?

a. In each individual, the form of the behavior is determined entirely by genes.

b. The behavior varies among individuals.

c. An individual's reproductive success depends in part on how the behavior is performed.

d. Some component of the behavior is genetically inherited.