1. Intraspecific Relationships
Interaction between members of the same group

2. Competition More intense than interspecific competition
For the same resources eg
Food
Water
Space
Home sites
Shelter
Light, etc
As members of the same species have the same needs, their competition is the strongest

3. Group Interactions Interactions can also be co-operative
Courtship
Pair-bond formation
Caring for the young
Interactions here can be competitive
Looking for a mate
Looking for a home site

4. Co-operative Interactions
Quite often found in
Group formation
Pair-bond formation
Parental care

5. Group formation Advantages Disadvantages Hunting Defence Protection
Insect societies
Clumping
Confusion
Breeding
Disadvantages
Competition
Disease and parasites
Increased conflict

6. Pair-bond formation
A pair bond is a stable relationship between animals of the opposite sex that ensures co-operative behaviour in mating and the rearing of the young

7. Parental Care
This has a large effect on the complexity of animal behaviour
Most species tend to fit into either
r strategies
k strategies

8. r Strategists Produce large numbers of gametes
Fertilised eggs then left to own devices
Very few survive but these must maintain the population
Parentla care is avoided saving resources and energy for survival
Mating must be co-ordinated and successful
Eg:
Simpler invertebrates
Most fish, amphibians and reptiles

9. k Strategists Deliberate parental care
Change of survival much higher for each fertilised egg so less gametes produced
Gain in energy conservation from less gametes production is offset by extra expenditure on group interactions and/or effort in parental care
May be basically solitary as adults with parental care being left to either mother (mammals) or father (emu, ostrich)

10. The different reproductive strategies
Monogamy
Polygyny
Polygamy
Polyandry
Polygynadry (promiscuity)
Synchronised spawning
Co-operative breeding
Kin selection
Social insects

11. Aggressive Interactions
Aggressiveness is a mood
It arises form competition
Fear is an important part of aggression
Fighting is ritualised with the moves known to both opponents, thus allowing a winner and loser without serious injury
Fighting to the death does not occur very often and is usually to eliminate a stranger
The winner ends up with the greater share of the resource meaning they are more likely to survive and pass on their genes

12. Territories Organisms do not usually crowd together
Each is surrounding by a personal space
The home range is an area the animal seldom leaves
The territory is the area an animal will mark and defend
Animals hold territory through aggressive behaviour

13. Hieracrchies
Animals tend to organise themselves into an order of dominance (pecking order)
Usually achieved through aggressive interactions
Once established the competition in the group usually diminishes