1.
Find at least one other species which displays lekking behaviour. Provide both the
common and scientific name (i.e. lesser short-tailed bat,
Mystacina tuberculate
) (1 mark)
Black grouse,
Lyrurus tetrix
2.
In general, what are two alternative mating strategies that may appear over the course of
evolution as a result of lek breeding in other organisms? (1 mark)
As a result of lek breeding in other organisms, two alternative mating strategies may emerge over
the course of evolution: “sneakers who adopt female morphological traits to parasitize
matings from males, and satellites who intercept females visiting attractive males.”
3.
Why was distance from the signing roost to the communal roost calculated? (1 mark)
The distance from the signing roost to the communal roost was calculated “to compare
potential differences in roost quality.” “Proximity to communal roosts may represent a desired
quality for males, as the closer a singing roost is to a communal roost, the more likely
commuting females will hear their songs.”
4.
What measure was used to determine a male bat’s fitness? (1 mark)
The measure used to determine a male bat’s fitness was “relatedness estimates between every
pair of genotyped bats in the population”.
5.
It is stated that smaller bats likely have higher energy reserves than larger bats. Based on
the results, what is the evidence to support this claim? Using your own intuition, how
might a researcher determine the energy reserves of an animal? (2 marks)
The evidence that smaller bats likely have higher energy reserves than larger bats is that “smaller
males had both higher song output and higher lek attendance patterns than larger males.” These
small males may possibly gain a higher energy reserve through “greater flying efficiency, lower
parasite loads and/or by producing less costly songs than larger males.” A researcher might
determine the energy reserves of an animal by monitoring activity throughout the day, possibly in
conjunction with measures of acceleration, heart rate, and thermoregulation.
6.
According to the authors, why might there be two different singing roost strategies
(solitary and timeshare)? In other words, in what scenario would each strategy be
advantageous? (2 marks)
