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WRL reference
M03 D02
Module
M03 Animal Behaviour
Data set
Interspecific differences in fiddler crab feeding rates
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Glossary of terms used:
Definition sources: OCR – GCE glossary; Cambridge International Examinations; On-Line
Biology Book; Oxford Dictionary; Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Adaptation: The adjustment or changes in behaviour, physiology, and structure of an
organism to become more suited to an environment.
Behaviour: The response of an individual or group to an action, environment, other
organism or stimulus.
Cheliped asymmetry: A Cheliped refers to the claw of a decapod crustacean, for example a
crab. In some species the chelipeds are described as being asymmetric because one is more
developed than the other and they are therefore not symmetrical.
Crustacean: A class of aquatic arthropods, including crabs, shrimps and lobsters.
Desiccation: The process of drying out, or dehydration.
Detritus: Particulate matter produced by the disintegration or decomposition of material.
Interspecific competition: A form of competition for the same resource between individuals
of different species.
Ecosystem: All the living organisms and all the non-living components in a specific habitat,
and their interactions.
Error bars: Bars added to graphs to indicate the variability of data (typically standard error
or standard deviation).
Feeding strategy: Methods and behavioural traits used by specific individuals or species to
obtain their food.
Habitat: The place where an organism or population of organisms lives.
Mangroves: A tropical intertidal ecosystem which is dominated by mangrove trees.
Niche: The exact role of an organism in the ecosystem – its use of the living and non-living
components of the ecosystem.
Sediment: Particles that settle to the bottom of the water, with common examples being
sand, mud and silt.
Selection: A process in which environmental or genetic influences determine which types of
organism thrive better than others, regarded as a factor in evolution.
Setae: Modified appendages used as filters.
Standard deviation: A measure of how much data varies from the mean or average. The
more spread the data is, the higher the standard deviation.
Transects: A straight line or narrow section through an area along which observations are
made.