Animal Behavior Video 7
Triumph of Life: Winning Teams
Many animals live in groups. Some groups are simply assemblages of animals that happen to be using the same resource at the same time while others are highly complex social systems built on cooperation among the members. The video, Triumph of Life: Winning Teams, presents examples of the diversity of social organization in the animal world. Before the video begins, take a few minutes to read through the questions on this worksheet. As you watch, answer the questions using specific examples presented in the video.
Silversides
Starlings
Reindeer
Wildebeest
Meerkats
Driver ants
Sea anemones
Cheetahs
Titi monkeys
Masked boobies
Southern ground hornbills
African wild dogs
Demarland molerats
Termites
Ants
Greater spear-nosed bats
Humans
1. There are many benefits of living in a group. Some of the benefits are protection from predators, finding and/or capturing food, and a variety of reproductive benefits. Briefly describe 1 example from the video for each of the following:
a. Protection from predators:
b. Finding/capturing food:
c. Reproduction/improving offspring survival:
2. “True social behavior” is defined as a cooperative interaction between two or more individuals. Although there are several types of social behaviors, only two qualify as “true social behavior”: mutualism and altruism. Describe 1 example for each type of behavior. Each example should include the animal and the behavior they showed.
a. Mutualism (both parties in the interaction receive an immediate benefit). Make sure your description includes how both of the participants benefit.
b. Altruism (the actor incurs a cost/loses and the recipient of the behavior benefits). Make sure your description indicates who the helper is and what help it provides and who the recipient is and how it benefits from the help.
Finally, does the example you chose best illustrate altruism by kin selection or reciprocity?
3. The epitome of altruistic behavior is seen in eusocial animals. Give 1 example of a true, eusocial animal shown in the video.
Download the video worksheet and have it available while you watch the video. Use specific examples from the video to answer the questions. You may use a particular animal more than once.
Be sure to carefully read the directions on the worksheet prior to starting the video. Use your own words only and not citation and outside sources needed.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsy-if302xc
