Page 1 of 1
ARHOLIADAU EXAMINATIONS
SEMESTER 2 EXAMINATIONS 2011
IBERS (BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES)
BS25420 BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY
TIME ALLOWED: THREE HOURS
ANSWER THREE QUESTIONS, EACH IN A SEPARATE ANSWER BOOK
1. Explain what is meant by the term “optimal foraging”. Use examples to explain how
animals behave in this manner.
2. “Tradeoff” is a key term in behavioural ecology. Discuss this term in the context of the
costs and benefits of living in a group.
3. To what extent is kinship important when animals cooperate?
4. In the context of sexual selection, is a weapon better than an ornament? Use examples
to explain your answer.
5. Do humans behave in an evolutionary adaptive way? Use examples to justify your
answer.
6. What is an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS)? Explain, using examples, how different
strategies may co-exist.
END