Acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) stash acorns in storage holes they drill in trees. When these woodpeckers breed, the offspring from previous years often help with parental duties. Activities of these nonbreeding helpers include incubating eggs and defending stashed acorns. Propose some questions about the proximate and ultimate causation of these behaviors that a behavioral biologist could ask.

The breeding method which involves helper species other than breeders is called cooperative breeding. In other words, more than two organisms look after the young one. More than 300 avian species have adapted for cooperative breeding. The mating system also ranges from monogamy to polygynandry.

Proximate behavioral causes involve the questions that immediately give the answers for the behaviors of the organism.The probable proximate questions regarding the behavior of acorn woodpecker are as follows:

1. At what period transition of the behavior occurs?

2. What are the scenarios that allow transition?

3. Do helpers need to learn parenting chores?

4. What type of behavior is exhibited by helpers during cooperative breeding?

The causes of behavior which include the evolutionary or historical background,are considered as ultimate causes of behavior.Selective pressure or cultural adaptation are some causes of social behavior in some organisms.

The probable questions regarding the ultimate causes of acorn woodpecker are as follows:

1. How has the sex ratio been developed between helpers and the breeding population?

2. Why is the helper role related to kin selection?

3. How is the availability of acorns related to the fraction of birds in the population?

4. How do helpers get advantages from cooperative breeding?

Therefore, the proximate causative question includes direct questions such as “what,” the questions that give an immediate answer, and ultimate causative questions have “why” or “how” questions that elaborate a more significant concept of the behavior.