Answers to Hone Your Problem-Solving Skills Questions
1. In the study population of gray wolves, pair bond duration ranged from 1 to 9 years and was positively associated with apparent pup survival (i.e., as the duration of pair bonds increased, apparent pup survival also increased).
Age of breeders is conflated with the duration of the pair bond. One possible explanation for the pattern shown in the figure is that males and females with pair bonds of long durations are likely older and more experienced parents and are therefore better at coordinating parental care; this could result in increased pup survival. The pattern shown in the figure might also reflect longer territory occupancy by older pairs than younger pairs, which would presumably lead to more efficient use of resources and greater pup survival.2. The presence and number of helpers will affect group size in gray wolves. Help provided by non-breeding group members could benefit the breeding pair by allowing them to spend more time foraging, which could influence their reproductive success. Similarly, help provided by non-breeding group members could benefit young of the breeding pair through the provision of extra food and protection, which also could influence the reproductive success of the breeding pair. Thus, because group size can influence reproductive success, it is important to control for group size in the analysis of the relationship between pair bond duration and apparent pup survival, which is one measure of reproductive success. The researcher has shown a correlation between pair bond duration and apparent pup survival. However, correlation does not imply causation. Other factors not measured by the researcher could have influenced both pair bond duration and apparent pup survival and produced the relationship shown in the figure.
3. Given that social conflict in other species is positively associated with the emergence of different mating strategies in populations, one would expect pair bond duration to be negatively associated with a prevalence of other mating strategies, such as polygyny and polyandry, in groups of gray wolves. In other words, as pair bond duration increased, the prevalence of other mating strategies within groups would be expected to decrease. This pattern is exactly what the researcher found for his study groups of gray wolves.