BI308 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Diminishing Returns
Document Summary
Generating hypothesis to test in the field example from last class: the crows dropping the mollocks. How high did we have to lift the chalk to get it to break. Could compare what the crows did to the model he came up with (fit well) Sometimes when we make a model, it doesn"t fit with what the animals do. There must be a factor that we missed. Example: missed a cost vs. benefit or a factor. Then we go back and refine the model to figure out the missing parts. Time, rate and energy can be a cost. Can translate between time and energy for the cost. For most organisms we have no idea what the metabolic rate cost is for activates so time becomes the best predictor. Time becomes a nice currency to use because its easy to measure. Food = easy to measure the rough energy content of the food.
