animal associations

animal associations - categories

HOMOSPECIFIC

• same species [1]
  
• associations which form the basis of social behaviour

studied under topic : behaviour

• 1 + x species

commensalism

• regular, close association
• one species benefits, other does not

other species suffers no significant disadvantage


inquillism

• lives in host
  
• Tenquilus = tenant

sub-category or separate categoy of mutualism


mutualism

• mutus = exchange

parasymbiosis


• nobody benefits

e.g. different species of bird living in same tree except mabye tearning each other
alarm calls

parabiosis


• animals feeding within sight of each other
• do not compete with each other ecologically

social parasymbiosis

• bilateral association with entire species

e.g. beetle with ants


parasitism

• lives inside or attached to another organism, the host, obtaining nourishment from its tissues or fluids
• Implies intimate, macromolecular contact, where excretions and secretions of one organism may interact with the cells and fluids of the other in such a way that the parasite may be recognised by the host as being foreign, non-se;lf, or antigenic
• If an animal or plant is recognised as antigenic, it is a parasite

under the terms of the definition this meas some relationships traditionally terms parasitic cannot now be

e.g.

parasitism of tapeworm in hind part of gut:

• worm uses the wall of the gut for attachment only minimally
• absorption of nuitients takes place in the region of excretion and tapeworms excretory products do not affect the host

Commensalism examined

• Commensalism originally meant "eating at the same table". But this suggests that there are only nutritional linkages.
• It is now termed a oone sided heterospecific association
• commensalism can range from an association where nutrition forms some part of the relationship to where it is completely excluded
• there have been some ecological definitions
• Any definition needs to carefuly qualified
  

Ecological definition of commensalism

• Animals living in the same locality where the "host" is part of the environment
• The relationship consists of a whole range of associations where animals or animals and plants gain advantage through living togetherthe relationship stops just short of predation
• There can be subdivisions of the umbrella term commensalism based on nutritional themes

In commensalism animals receive unilateral benefit but this not the same as parasitism

posted by Adfero Affero @ 10:23 AM