| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Altricial | Helpless at birth or hatching and requiring parental care for a period of time. |
| Precocial | Active and able to move freely from birth or hatching and requiring little parental care. |
| r-selected | Species that reproduce early, quickly and produce many offpsring. Typical in unstable environmental conditions. |
| K-selected | Species that produce after reaching maturity and produce fewer offpsring which are more developed. Typical in stable environmental conditions where population size is reaching or has reached carrying capacity. |
| Fecundity | Refers to the number of eggs produced by a female in a breeding season. |
| Amniote eggs | Hard, shelled eggs suitable to be laid in a terrestrial environment. |
| Oviparity | Mode of reproduction whereby eggs mature and hatch after being expelled from the body, as birds, most reptiles and fishes, and the monotremes. |
| Viviparity | Mode of reproduction whereby embryinic development occurs within the mother's body. |
| Monogamy | The practice of having only one mate. |
| Polygamy | System of mating where one male or female has multiple partners. |
| Polygyny | System of mating where one male has multiple female partners. |
| Polyandry | System of mating where one one female has multiple male partners. |
| Lekking | The gathering of males in an area for the purpose of displaying to attract females. |
| Bird-pollinated | Flowers which are typically coloured red or orange. Petals may form a tube structure. |
| Broadcast spawning | Release of sperm and egg into external aquatic environment. |
| Demersal | Eggs which are laid in rock crevices. |
| Insect-pollinated | Flowers which are typically blue or purple in colour and may have UV reflective patterns. Petals may form a 'landing platform' and the flower may be scented. |
| Marsupials | Mammals capable of suspending the development of an embryo. |
| Pelagic | Eggs which are free floating in water. |
| Placenta | Organ that allows for exchange of materials between the mother and her foetus. |
| Pollination | The process of pollen transferring from the anther to the stigma. |
| Wind-pollinated | Flowers are typically colourless and odourless. Anthers are exposed to the wind and pollen is light weight and small. The stigma may be feathery. |
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