Evolutionary ecology
1. Why is the genetic correlation between male trait and female preference so
critical in Lande's model of sexual selection?
2. Are species real? Discuss.
3. Explain Fisher’s theory for the optimal sex ratio in dioecious organisms.
Discuss how this can be extended to predict the optimal sex allocation in
hermaphrodites, and the principal factors that will influence the actual allocation in
such organisms.
1) Why is the genetic correlation between male trait and female preference so
critical in Lande's model of sexual selection?
2) Inbreeding does not change allele frequencies but does change genotype
frequencies. Therefore inbreeding depression must have something to do with
within-locus interactions. Discuss.
3) Discuss the evolution of hyperaccumulation of metals by plants.
1. What is an "edaphic endemic" species? Discuss the processes by which they are
most likely to have evolved.
2. Why are there two sexes and not one or one hundred?
3. The genetic code (the sequence of nucleotides, or codons, specifying amino acids
or chain termination) is nearly universal. Is it an adaptation?
Animal behaviour
1. How could you distinguish between the following hypotheses?
a. Cockerels crow because they see the sun rise:
b. Cockerels crow to signal their ownership of a flock of hens to neighbouring males.
2. Animal behaviour can be understood as arising from selection for traits that
maximize an individual’s lifetime reproductive success. Discuss.
3. Discuss the Nature-Nurture fallacy.
Q1: Are biological signals honest?
Q2: How can cooperation evolve among unrelated individuals?
Q3: How are alternative reproductive tactics maintained in a population?
