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The evolution of parental care in salamanders. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16655. [PMID: 36198742 PMCID: PMC9535019 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20903-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex parenting has been proposed to contribute to the evolutionary success of vertebrates. However, the evolutionary routes to complex parenting and the role of parenting in vertebrate diversity are still contentious. Although basal vertebrates provide clues to complex reproduction, these are often understudied. Using 181 species that represent all major lineages of an early vertebrate group, the salamanders and newts (Caudata, salamanders henceforth) here we show that fertilisation mode is tied to parental care: male-only care occurs in external fertilisers, whereas female-only care exclusively occurs in internal fertilisers. Importantly, internal fertilisation opens the way to terrestrial reproduction, because fertilised females are able to deposit their eggs on land, and with maternal care provision, the eggs could potentially develop outside the aquatic environment. Taken together, our results of a semi-aquatic early vertebrate group propose that the diversity and follow-up radiation of terrestrial vertebrates are inherently associated with a complex social behaviour, parenting.
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2
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Carvajal-Castro JD, Vargas-Salinas F, Casas-Cardona S, Rojas B, Santos JC. Aposematism facilitates the diversification of parental care strategies in poison frogs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19047. [PMID: 34561489 PMCID: PMC8463664 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97206-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many organisms have evolved adaptations to increase the odds of survival of their offspring. Parental care has evolved several times in animals including ectotherms. In amphibians, ~ 10% of species exhibit parental care. Among these, poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are well-known for their extensive care, which includes egg guarding, larval transport, and specialized tadpole provisioning with trophic eggs. At least one third of dendrobatids displaying aposematism by exhibiting warning coloration that informs potential predators about the presence of defensive skin toxins. Aposematism has a central role in poison frog diversification, including diet specialization, and visual and acoustic communication; and it is thought to have impacted their reproductive biology as well. We tested the latter association using multivariate phylogenetic methods at the family level. Our results show complex relationships between aposematism and certain aspects of the reproductive biology in dendrobatids. In particular, aposematic species tend to use more specialized tadpole-deposition sites, such as phytotelmata, and ferry fewer tadpoles than non-aposematic species. We propose that aposematism may have facilitated the diversification of microhabitat use in dendrobatids in the context of reproduction. Furthermore, the use of resource-limited tadpole-deposition environments may have evolved in tandem with an optimal reproductive strategy characterized by few offspring, biparental care, and female provisioning of food in the form of unfertilized eggs. We also found that in phytotelm-breeders, the rate of transition from cryptic to aposematic phenotype is 17 to 19 times higher than vice versa. Therefore, we infer that the aposematism in dendrobatids might serve as an umbrella trait for the evolution and maintenance of their complex offspring-caring activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D. Carvajal-Castro
- grid.264091.80000 0001 1954 7928Department of Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, Jamaica-Queens, NY USA ,grid.441861.e0000 0001 0690 6629Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Fernando Vargas-Salinas
- grid.441861.e0000 0001 0690 6629Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Santiago Casas-Cardona
- grid.441861.e0000 0001 0690 6629Grupo de Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- grid.9681.60000 0001 1013 7965Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland ,grid.6583.80000 0000 9686 6466Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan C. Santos
- grid.264091.80000 0001 1954 7928Department of Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, Jamaica-Queens, NY USA
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3
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Simbula G, Macale D, Gomes V, Vignoli L, Carretero MA. Effects of pesticides on eggs and hatchlings of the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) exposed via maternal route. ZOOL ANZ 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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4
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5
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Lange L, Bégué L, Brischoux F, Lourdais O. The costs of being a good dad: egg-carrying and clutch size impair locomotor performance in male midwife toads (Alytes obstetricans). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Parental care is widespread across the animal kingdom. Parental behaviours are beneficial by increasing offspring survival but induce significant costs to the parents. Because parental care is far more common in females, the associated reproductive costs have been largely studied in this sex. Although male parental care is likely to involve significant costs, it has been markedly less well investigated. We studied the costs of egg-carrying on locomotor performance in an amphibian species (Alytes obstetricans) with male parental care. We examined complementary parameters including hopping performance, righting response, hindleg muscle response to egg burden, and homing time in males carrying or not carrying eggs. We found that carrying males showed altered locomotor performance for most traits. In addition, alteration of performance was closely related to relative clutch size. Clutch desertion occurred in smaller individuals carrying larger relative clutch mass, and performance after desertion was similar to that of non-reproductive individuals. Overall, our study demonstrates that carrying eggs significantly alters male mobility and that performance–clutch size trade-offs are relevant in understanding the evolution of paternal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Lange
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS et Université de la Rochelle – UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Lauriane Bégué
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS et Université de la Rochelle – UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS et Université de la Rochelle – UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS et Université de la Rochelle – UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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6
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Whittington CM, Friesen CR. The evolution and physiology of male pregnancy in syngnathid fishes. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1252-1272. [PMID: 32372478 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons (Syngnathidae) are among the few vertebrates in which pregnant males incubate developing embryos. Syngnathids are popular in studies of sexual selection, sex-role reversal, and reproductive trade-offs, and are now emerging as valuable comparative models for the study of the biology and evolution of reproductive complexity. These fish offer the opportunity to examine the physiology, behavioural implications, and evolutionary origins of embryo incubation, independent of the female reproductive tract and female hormonal milieu. Such studies allow us to examine flexibility in regulatory systems, by determining whether the pathways underpinning female pregnancy are also co-opted in incubating males, or whether novel pathways have evolved in response to the common challenges imposed by incubating developing embryos and releasing live young. The Syngnathidae are also ideal for studies of the evolution of reproductive complexity, because they exhibit multiple parallel origins of complex reproductive phenotypes. Here we assay the taxonomic distribution of syngnathid parity mode, examine the selective pressures that may have led to the emergence of male pregnancy, describe the biology of syngnathid reproduction, and highlight pressing areas for future research. Experimental tests of a range of hypotheses, including many generated with genomic tools, are required to inform overarching theories about the fitness implications of pregnancy and the evolution of male pregnancy. Such information will be widely applicable to our understanding of fundamental reproductive and evolutionary processes in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla M Whittington
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.,The University of Sydney, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Christopher R Friesen
- The University of Wollongong, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
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7
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Iyer P, Shukla A, Jadhav V, Sahoo BK. Anisogamy selects for male-biased care in self-consistent games with synchronous matings. Evolution 2020; 74:1018-1032. [PMID: 32342490 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We reexamine the influential parental investment hypothesis proposed by Trivers for the causal relationship between anisogamy and widespread female-biased parental care. We build self-consistent versions of Maynard Smith's simple evolutionary game between males and females over parental care, and incorporate consequences of anisogamy for gamete production and its trade-off with parental care, and for patterns of mate limitation. As male mating opportunities are limited by females, frequency-dependent selection acts on male strategies. Assuming synchrony of matings in the population, our analytical models find either symmetric sex roles or male-biased care as an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS), in contrast to Trivers' hypothesis. We simulate evolution in asynchronously mating populations and find that diverse parental roles, including female care, can be ESS depending on the parameters. When caring males can also remate, or when females can increase the clutch size by deserting, there is stronger selection for male-biased care. Hence, we argue that the mating-caring trade-off for males is neither a necessary consequence of anisogamy nor sufficient to select for female-biased care. Instead, the factors excluded from our models-costly competitive traits, sexual selection, and partial parentage-may be necessary for the parental investment hypothesis to work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Iyer
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Abhishek Shukla
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - Vivek Jadhav
- Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Bikash Kumar Sahoo
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560012, India
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8
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Vági B, Végvári Z, Liker A, Freckleton RP, Székely T. Parental care and the evolution of terrestriality in frogs. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182737. [PMID: 30966991 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Frogs and toads (Anura) exhibit some of the most diverse parental strategies in vertebrates. Identifying the evolutionary origins of parenting is fundamental to understanding the relationships between sexual selection, social evolution and parental care systems of contemporary Anura. Moreover, parenting has been hypothesized to allow the invasion of terrestrial habitats by the ancestors of terrestrial vertebrates. Using comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of frogs and toads based on data from over 1000 species that represent 46 out of 55 Anura families, we test whether parental care is associated with terrestrial reproduction and several life-history traits. Here, we show that both the duration of care and offspring protection by males and females have coevolved with terrestrial reproduction. Sexual size dimorphism is also related to care, because the large male size relative to female size is associated with increased paternal care. Furthermore, increased egg size and reduced clutch volume are associated with increased care in bivariate but not in multivariate analyses, suggesting that the relationships between care, egg size and clutch volume are mediated by terrestrial reproduction. Taken together, our results suggest that parenting by males and females has coevolved, and complex parenting traits have evolved several times independently in Anura in response to breeding in terrestrial environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs Vági
- 1 Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen , Debrecen , Hungary
| | - Zsolt Végvári
- 2 Department of Conservation Zoology, University of Debrecen , Debrecen , Hungary.,3 Department Hortobágy National Park Directorate , Debrecen , Hungary
| | - András Liker
- 4 Department of Limnology, University of Pannonia , Veszprém , Hungary
| | - Robert P Freckleton
- 5 Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield , Sheffield , UK
| | - Tamás Székely
- 6 Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath , Bath , UK
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9
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Gould J, Clulow J, Clulow S. Food, not friend: Tadpoles of the sandpaper frog (
Lechriodus fletcheri
) cannibalise conspecific eggs as a food resource in ephemeral pools. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John Gould
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
| | - John Clulow
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
| | - Simon Clulow
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney NSW Australia
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10
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Benun Sutton F, Wilson AB. Where are all the moms? External fertilization predicts the rise of male parental care in bony fishes. Evolution 2019; 73:2451-2460. [PMID: 31660613 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Parental care shows remarkable variation across the animal kingdom, but while maternal and biparental care are common in terrestrial organisms, male-only care dominates in aquatic species that provide care. Using the most complete phylogenetic tree of bony fishes to date, we test whether the opportunity for external fertilization in aquatic environments can explain the more frequent evolution of male care in this group. We show that paternal care has evolved at least 30 times independently in fish and is found exclusively in externally fertilizing species. Male care is positively associated with pair spawning, suggesting that confidence in paternity is an important determinant of the evolution of care. Crucially, while female care is constrained by other forms of reproductive investment, male care occurs more frequently when females invest heavily in gamete production. Our results suggest that moving control of fertilization outside of the female reproductive tract raises male confidence in parentage and increases the potential for paternal care, highlighting that in an aquatic environment in which fertilization is external, paternal care is an effective reproductive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frieda Benun Sutton
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, 11210
| | - Anthony B Wilson
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, 11210
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11
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Terry J, Taguchi Y, Dixon J, Kuwabara K, Takahashi MK. Preoviposition paternal care in a fully aquatic giant salamander: nest cleaning by a den master. J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Terry
- Animal Behavior Program Bucknell University Lewisburg PA USA
| | - Y. Taguchi
- Hiroshima City Asa Zoological Park Hiroshima Japan
| | - J. Dixon
- Animal Behavior Program Bucknell University Lewisburg PA USA
| | - K. Kuwabara
- Japan Giant Salamander Association Matsuzaka City, Mie Japan
| | - M. K. Takahashi
- Animal Behavior Program Bucknell University Lewisburg PA USA
- Department of Biology Bucknell University Lewisburg PA USA
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12
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Reproduction and sexual dimorphism of daubed shanny (Teleostei: Leptoclinus maculatus) in Svalbard waters. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2328-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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13
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14
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de Fraipont M, Clobert J, Barbault R. THE EVOLUTION OF OVIPARITY WITH EGG GUARDING AND VIVIPARITY IN LIZARDS AND SNAKES: A PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS. Evolution 2017; 50:391-400. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1996.tb04501.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/1992] [Accepted: 09/12/1994] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. de Fraipont
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Laboratoire d'Écologie; CNRS URA-258, Case 237, 7 Quai Saint Bernard 75252 Paris 05 France
| | - J. Clobert
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Laboratoire d'Écologie; CNRS URA-258, Case 237, 7 Quai Saint Bernard 75252 Paris 05 France
| | - R. Barbault
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Laboratoire d'Écologie; CNRS URA-258, Case 237, 7 Quai Saint Bernard 75252 Paris 05 France
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15
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Olivera-Tlahuel C, Villagrán-Santa Cruz M, Moreno-Mendoza NA, Zúñiga-Vega JJ. Morphological structures for potential sperm storage in poeciliid fishes. Does superfetation matter? J Morphol 2017; 278:907-918. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Olivera-Tlahuel
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales; Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Ciudad Universitaria 04510 Ciudad de México México
| | - Maricela Villagrán-Santa Cruz
- Departamento de Biología Comparada; Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Ciudad Universitaria 04510 Ciudad de México México
| | - Norma A. Moreno-Mendoza
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología; Instituto de investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Ciudad Universitaria 04510 Ciudad de México México
| | - J. Jaime Zúñiga-Vega
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales; Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Ciudad Universitaria 04510 Ciudad de México México
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16
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Delia J, Bravo-Valencia L, Warkentin KM. Patterns of parental care in Neotropical glassfrogs: fieldwork alters hypotheses of sex-role evolution. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:898-914. [PMID: 28241390 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 02/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Many animals provide parental care to offspring. Parental sex-roles vary extensively across taxa, and such patterns are considered well documented. However, information on amphibians is lacking relative to other vertebrate groups. We combine natural history observations with functional and historical analyses to examine the evolution of egg care in glassfrogs (Centrolenidae). Parental care was considered rare and predominately provided by males. Our field observations of 40 species revealed that care occurs throughout the family, and the caregiving sex changes across lineages. We discovered that a brief period of maternal care is widespread and occurs in species previously thought to lack care. Using a combination of female-removal experiments, prey-choice tests with egg-eating katydids, and parental disturbance-tolerance assays, we confirm the adaptive benefits of short-term maternal care in wild Cochranella granulosa and Teratohyla pulverata. To examine historical transitions between caregiving sexes, we assembled a molecular phylogeny and estimated ancestral care states using our data and the literature. We assessed patterns indicative of sex-specific constraints by testing whether transitions between the sexes are associated with changes in care levels. Our analyses support that male-only care evolved 2-3 times from female-only care, and this change is associated with substantial increases in care levels - a pattern supporting the hypothesis that male-only care evolved via constraints on maternal expenditure. Many groups of amphibians remain poorly studied, with emerging evidence indicating that care patterns are more diverse than currently appreciated. Natural history remains fundamental to uncovering this diversity and generating testable hypotheses of sex-role evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Delia
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - L Bravo-Valencia
- Profesional Universitaria, Equipo Fauna, Corantioquia, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia
| | - K M Warkentin
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, República de Panamá
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17
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Takahashi MK, Okada S, Fukuda Y. From embryos to larvae: seven‐month‐long paternal care by male Japanese giant salamander. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - S. Okada
- Department of Social Systems Engineering Tottori University Tottori Japan
| | - Y. Fukuda
- Nichinan Hanzaki Dojo Niiya Nichinan‐choTottori Japan
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18
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Roland AB, O’Connell LA. Poison frogs as a model system for studying the neurobiology of parental care. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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19
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Bailey A, Eberly LE, Packer C. Does pregnancy coloration reduce female conspecific aggression in the presence of maternal kin? Anim Behav 2015; 108:199-206. [PMID: 29657330 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Colour signals arise in a variety of sexual contexts, including advertising reproductive status. Despite potentially attracting negative attention from unrelated competitors, bright pregnancy coloration may communicate gestation to kin and potential fathers, thereby garnering aid during agonistic encounters and reducing the overall amount of aggression received by pregnant females. To establish whether this 'pregnancy sign' influences rates of aggression in the presence versus absence of maternal kin, we conducted behavioural observations of wild olive baboons, Papio anubis, in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, in groups composed of maternal kin and nonkin, and of captive baboons at the Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC, San Antonio, TX, U.S.A.), in group enclosures that were unlikely to include close kin. At SNPRC, we also experimentally obscured the coloration of the pregnancy sign, and we performed playback experiments to measure male responses to the distress calls of pregnant females. Free-ranging female baboons experienced significantly less aggression from nonkin females after the onset of the pregnancy sign compared to the pre-pregnancy sign. In contrast, captive pregnant females whose pregnancy coloration was obscured with paint experienced significantly lower aggression rates from female conspecifics compared to pre-painting. Male aggression towards females did not differ in the presence versus absence of the pregnancy sign in either the wild or the captive population, although captive fathers paid significantly more attention to distress calls of pregnant cage-mates than they did to those of cycling cage-mates, suggesting a willingness to aid mothers that were carrying their unborn offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bailey
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, U.S.A
| | - Lynn E Eberly
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, U.S.A
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, U.S.A
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20
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Gilbert JDJ, Manica A. The evolution of parental care in insects: A test of current hypotheses. Evolution 2015; 69:1255-70. [PMID: 25825047 PMCID: PMC4529740 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Which sex should care for offspring is a fundamental question in evolution. Invertebrates, and insects in particular, show some of the most diverse kinds of parental care of all animals, but to date there has been no broad comparative study of the evolution of parental care in this group. Here, we test existing hypotheses of insect parental care evolution using a literature-compiled phylogeny of over 2000 species. To address substantial uncertainty in the insect phylogeny, we use a brute force approach based on multiple random resolutions of uncertain nodes. The main transitions were between no care (the probable ancestral state) and female care. Male care evolved exclusively from no care, supporting models where mating opportunity costs for caring males are reduced—for example, by caring for multiple broods—but rejecting the “enhanced fecundity” hypothesis that male care is favored because it allows females to avoid care costs. Biparental care largely arose by males joining caring females, and was more labile in Holometabola than in Hemimetabola. Insect care evolution most closely resembled amphibian care in general trajectory. Integrating these findings with the wealth of life history and ecological data in insects will allow testing of a rich vein of existing hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D J Gilbert
- Department of Evolution, Behaviour and Environment, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, United Kingdom. .,School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Science, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
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21
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Ferrando S, Castellano L, Gallus L, Ghigliotti L, Masini MA, Pisano E, Vacchi M. A demonstration of nesting in two antarctic icefish (genus Chionodraco) using a fin dimorphism analysis and ex situ videos. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90512. [PMID: 24598889 PMCID: PMC3944016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual observations and videos of Chionodraco hamatus icefish at the “Acquario di Genova” and histological analyses of congeneric species C. hamatus and C. rastrospinosus adults sampled in the field provided new anatomical and behavioral information on the reproductive biology of these white blooded species that are endemic to the High-Antarctic region. During the reproductive season, mature males of both species, which are different from females and immature males, display fleshy, club-like knob modifications of their anal fin that consisted of a much thicker epithelium. Histology indicated that the knobs were without any specialized glandular or sensorial organization, thus suggesting a mechanical and/or ornamental role of the modified anal fin. In addition, the occurrence of necrotic regions at the base of the thickened epithelium and the detachment of the knobs in post-spawning C. hamatus males indicated the temporary nature of the knobs. The role of these structures was confirmed as mechanical and was clarified using visual observations and videos of the behavior of two C. hamatus during a reproductive event that occurred in an exhibit tank at the “Acquario di Genova”. The reproductive process included pre-spawning activity, preparation of the nest, egg guarding and successfully ended with egg hatching. When the spawning event approached, the male prepared the nest. The nest was constructed on an accurately selected bottom surface, which was flattened and maintained free from sand or debris by a combination of radial body movements and continuous anal fin sweeping, thus demonstrating the important mechanical/abrasive function of the anal fin knobs. The present data are the first records of active nesting in icefish and clarify the meaning of dimorphic temporary structures, whose function would have been difficult to obtain in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ferrando
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Science (DiSTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Gallus
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Science (DiSTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Ghigliotti
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Science (DiSTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Angela Masini
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Science (DiSTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Eva Pisano
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Science (DiSTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marino Vacchi
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) c/o Institute of Marine Sciences (ISMAR), National Research Council, Genoa, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Harris BN, de Jong TR, Yang V, Saltzman W. Chronic variable stress in fathers alters paternal and social behavior but not pup development in the biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). Horm Behav 2013; 64:799-811. [PMID: 24157379 PMCID: PMC3894746 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2013] [Revised: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Stress and chronically elevated glucocorticoid levels have been shown to disrupt parental behavior in mothers; however, almost no studies have investigated corresponding effects in fathers. The present experiment tested the hypothesis that chronic variable stress inhibits paternal behavior and consequently alters pup development in the monogamous, biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). First-time fathers were assigned to one of three experimental groups: chronic variable stress (CVS, n=8), separation control (SC, n=7), or unmanipulated control (UC, n=8). The CVS paradigm (3 stressors per day for 7 days) successfully stressed mice, as evidenced by increased baseline plasma corticosterone concentrations, increased adrenal mass, decreased thymus mass, and a decrease in body mass over time. CVS altered paternal and social behavior of fathers, but major differences were observed only on day 6 of the 7-day paradigm. At that time point, CVS fathers spent less time with their pairmate and pups, and more time autogrooming, as compared to UC fathers; SC fathers spent more time behaving paternally and grooming the female mate than CVS and UC fathers. Thus, CVS blocked the separation-induced increase in social behaviors observed in the SC fathers. Nonetheless, chronic stress in fathers did not appear to alter survival or development of their offspring: pups from the three experimental conditions did not differ in body mass gain over time, in the day of eye opening, or in basal or post-stress corticosterone levels. These results demonstrate that chronic stress can transiently disrupt paternal and social behavior in P. californicus fathers, but does not alter pup development or survival under controlled, non-challenging laboratory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanna N Harris
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
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Stahlschmidt ZR. Taxonomic chauvinism revisited: insight from parental care research. PLoS One 2011; 6:e24192. [PMID: 21904614 PMCID: PMC3164163 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2011] [Accepted: 08/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care (any non-genetic contribution by a parent that appears likely to increase the fitness of its offspring) is a widespread trait exhibited by a broad range of animal taxa. In addition to influencing the fitness of parent(s) and offspring, parental care may be inextricably involved in other evolutionary processes, such as sexual selection and the evolution of endothermy. Yet, recent work has demonstrated that bias related to taxonomy is prevalent across many biological disciplines, and research in parental care may be similarly burdened. Thus, I used parental care articles published in six leading journals of fundamental behavioral sciences (Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Ethology, Hormones and Behavior, and Physiology & Behavior) from 2001–2010 (n = 712) to examine the year-to-year dynamics of two types of bias related to taxonomy across animals: (1) taxonomic bias, which exists when research output is not proportional to the frequency of organisms in nature, and (2) taxonomic citation bias, which is a proxy for the breadth of a given article—specifically, the proportion of articles cited that refer solely to the studied taxon. I demonstrate that research on birds likely represents a disproportionate amount of parental care research and, thus, exhibits taxonomic bias. Parental care research on birds and mammals also refers to a relatively narrow range of taxonomic groups when discussing its context and, thus, exhibits taxonomic citation bias. Further, the levels of taxonomic bias and taxonomic citation bias have not declined over the past decade despite cautionary messages about similar bias in related disciplines— in fact, taxonomic bias may have increased. As in Bonnet et al. (2002), my results should not be interpreted as evidence of an ‘ornithological Mafia’ conspiring to suppress other taxonomic groups. Rather, I generate several rational hypotheses to determine why bias persists and to guide future work.
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24
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Stahlschmidt Z, DeNardo DF. Parental behavior in pythons is responsive to both the hydric and thermal dynamics of the nest. J Exp Biol 2010; 213:1691-6. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.041095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Parental behavior contributes to the success of a diverse array of taxa, and female-only nest attendance is particularly widespread. Python egg-brooding behavior is an intriguing example of female-only nest attendance because it significantly influences several critical developmental variables, namely embryonic predation, hydration, respiration and temperature. During brooding, females predominately adopt a tightly coiled posture that reduces the exchange of heat, water vapor, O2 and CO2 between the nest and clutch environment, which benefits egg water balance at the cost of respiration. To determine the plasticity of this important behavior, we manipulated nest temperature and humidity while monitoring nest–clutch thermal, hydric and respiratory relationships to test the hypothesis that female Children's pythons (Antaresia childreni) modify their egg-brooding behavior due to an interaction between environmental thermal and hydric conditions. During moderate and high nest humidity treatments (23 and 32 g m−3 H2O, respectively), females spent more time coiling tightly when the nest was cooling than when it was warming, which benefited clutch temperature. However, brooding females in low-humidity nest environments (13 g m−3 H2O) showed a high frequency of tight coiling even when the nest was warming; thus, nest temperature and humidity had an interactive effect on egg-brooding behavior in support of our hypothesis. Our results also suggest that certain egg-brooding behaviors (i.e. postural adjustments) are more energetically costly to females than other behaviors (i.e. tight coiling). In sum, we provide empirical support for the adaptive plasticity of python egg-brooding behavior, which offers insight into the general significance of female-only nest attendance in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Stahlschmidt
- Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, PO Box 874601, Tempe, AZ 85287-4601, USA
| | - Dale F. DeNardo
- Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, PO Box 874601, Tempe, AZ 85287-4601, USA
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25
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26
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Iguchi K, Maekawa K. Female Mate Preference and Male Mating Success of Ayu Fish, Plecoglossus altivelis (Osmeridae) under a Promiscuous Mating System. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1993.tb00470.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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27
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Abstract
Patterns of parental care are strikingly diverse in nature, and parental care is thought to have evolved repeatedly multiple times. Surprisingly, relatively little is known about the most general conditions that lead to the origin of parental care. Here, we use a theoretical approach to explore the basic life-history conditions (i.e., stage-specific mortality and maturation rates, reproductive rates) that are most likely to favor the evolution of some form of parental care from a state of no care. We focus on parental care of eggs and eggs and juveniles and consider varying magnitudes of the benefits of care. Our results suggest that parental care can evolve under a range of life-history conditions, but in general will be most strongly favored when egg death rate in the absence of care is high, juvenile survival in the absence of care is low (for the scenario in which care extends into the juvenile stage), adult death rate is relatively high, egg maturation rate is low, and the duration of the juvenile stage is relatively short. Additionally, parental care has the potential to be favored at a broad range of adult reproductive rates. The relative importance of these life-history conditions in favoring or limiting the evolution of care depends on the magnitude of the benefits of care, the relationship between initial egg allocation and subsequent offspring survival, and whether care extends into the juvenile stage. The results of our model provide a general set of predictions regarding when we would expect parental care to evolve from a state of no care, and in conjunction with other work on the topic, will enhance our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of parental care and facilitate comparative analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope Klug
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Division of Ecology and Evolution, PO Box 65, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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28
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WEYGOLDT P. Evolution of parental care in dart poison frogs (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatidae). J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0469.1987.tb00913.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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29
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Wade MJ, Shuster SM. The evolution of parental care in the context of sexual selection: a critical reassessment of parental investment theory. Am Nat 2008; 160:285-92. [PMID: 18707439 DOI: 10.1086/341520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Males and females are often defined by differences in their energetic investment in gametes. In most sexual species, females produce few large ova, whereas males produce many tiny sperm. This difference in initial parental investment is presumed to exert a fundamental influence on sex differences in mating and parental behavior, resulting in a taxonomic bias toward parental care in females and away from parental care in males. In this article, we reexamine the logic of this argument as well as the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) theory often used to substantiate it. We show that the classic ESS model, which contrasts parental care with offspring desertion, violates the necessary relationship between mean male and female fitness. When the constraint of equal male and female mean fitness is correctly incorporated into the ESS model, its results are congruent with those of evolutionary genetic theory for the evolution of genes with direct and indirect effects. Male parental care evolves whenever half the magnitude of the indirect effect of paternal care on offspring viability exceeds the direct effect of additional mating success gained by desertion. When the converse is true, desertion invades and spreads. In the absence of a genetic correlation between the sexes, the evolution of paternal care is independent of maternal care. Theories based on sex differences in gametic investment make no such specific predictions. We discuss whether inferences about the evolution of sex differences in parental care can hold if the ESS theory on which they are based contains internal contradictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Wade
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA
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30
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Mank JE, Avise JC. Supertree analyses of the roles of viviparity and habitat in the evolution of atherinomorph fishes. J Evol Biol 2006; 19:734-40. [PMID: 16674570 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2005.01060.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Using supertree phylogenetic reconstructions, we investigate how livebearing and freshwater adaptations may have shaped evolutionary patterns in the Atherinomorpha, a large clade (approximately 1500 extant species) of ray-finned fishes. Based on maximum parsimony reconstructions, livebearing appears to have evolved at least four times independently in this group, and no reversions to the ancestral state of oviparity were evident. With respect to habitat, at least five evolutionary transitions apparently occurred from freshwater to marine environments, at least two transitions in the opposite direction, and no clear ancestral state was identifiable. All viviparous clades exhibited more extant species than their oviparous sister taxa, suggesting that transitions to viviparity may be associated with cladogenetic diversification. Transitions to freshwater were usually, but not invariably associated with increased species richness, but the trend was, overall, not significant among sister clades. Additionally, we investigated whether livebearing and freshwater adaptations are currently associated with elevated risks of extinction as implied by species' presence on the 2004 IUCN Red List. Despite being correlated with decreased brood size, livebearing has not significantly increased extinction risk in the Atherinomorpha. However, freshwater species were significantly more likely than marine species to be listed as endangered.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Mank
- Department of Genetics, Life Sciences Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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31
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Ripley JL, Foran CM. Differential parental nutrient allocation in two congeneric pipefish species (Syngnathidae:Syngnathusspp.). J Exp Biol 2006; 209:1112-21. [PMID: 16513938 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.02119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYMale seahorses and pipefishes of the family Syngnathidae are heralded for their unique brood pouch structures for incubating embryos. There are three general types of brood pouch with increasing complexity: simple ventral gluing, two pouch flaps and a completely sealed sac. The diversity of functional roles within a type in providing nutrition, aeration and protection to offspring is unknown. Here we reveal significant differences in parental nutrient allocation to embryos for two closely related, sympatric pipefishes with similar brood pouch structure. We document differences in embryo attachment, depletion of pouch fluid nutrients over development and egg nutrient partitioning between Syngnathus floridae and Syngnathus fuscus. In S. fuscus, females produce nutritionally poor eggs and the males implant developing embryos in the brood pouch adjacent to blood vessels. A female-biased breeding population was observed, supporting the hypothesis that the cost of male parental care is high in this species. The loose connection between eggs and brood pouch tissues and the appearance of undeveloped eggs and lipid droplets in the pouch of S. floridae males suggest this species utilizes nutrient-rich eggs produced by females as nurse eggs to supplement embryonic development. A balanced sex-ratio for S. floridae further supports more equal parental contribution. This comparison provides evidence of a decline in female gametic investment and reveals the rapid diversification of syngnathid brood pouch function. Our results indicate gross classification of brooding structures into one of the three general pouch types does not predict the energetic investment of males in parental care. But rather, physiological characterization of the relative investment by each sex to offspring is essential to understanding the functional significance of the brood pouch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Ripley
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, PO Box 6057, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
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Abstract
Our understanding of parental care behavior can be significantly advanced through the application of Williams's Principle, which states that reproduction has not only a benefit but also a cost to lifetime fitness. My laboratory has formalized Williams's Principle into the relative value theorem and found that its application to fishes, the taxa with the most diverse patterns of parental care, can help to explain which sex provides care and how much. In fishes, it is often the male that provides parental care, not because the male obtains greater benefits from this care, but probably because he pays fewer costs. Fish dynamically adjust their investment into parental care according to the number of offspring in their brood, past investment, genetic relatedness, and alternative mating opportunities, all of which affect the value of current offspring relative to potential future offspring. These results may also help us understand the joy and the challenges of parental care in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mart R Gross
- Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada.
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Mank JE, Promislow DEL, Avise JC. PHYLOGENETIC PERSPECTIVES IN THE EVOLUTION OF PARENTAL CARE IN RAY-FINNED FISHES. Evolution 2005. [DOI: 10.1554/04-734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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34
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Ah-King M, Kvarnemo C, Tullberg BS. The influence of territoriality and mating system on the evolution of male care: a phylogenetic study on fish. J Evol Biol 2004; 18:371-82. [PMID: 15715843 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2004.00823.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Evolution of male care is still poorly understood. Using phylogenetically matched-pairs comparisons we tested for effects of territoriality and mating system on male care evolution in fish. All origins of male care were found in pair-spawning species (with or without additional males such as sneakers) and none were found in group-spawning species. However, excluding group spawners, male care originated equally often in pair-spawning species with additional males as in strict pair-spawning species. Evolution of male care was also significantly related to territoriality. Yet, most pair-spawning taxa with male care are also territorial, making their relative influence difficult to separate. Furthermore, territoriality also occurs in group-spawning species. Hence, territoriality is not sufficient for male care to evolve. Rather, we argue that it is the combination of territoriality and pair spawning with sequential polygyny that favours the evolution of male care, and we discuss our results in relation to paternity assurance and sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ah-King
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
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35
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Manica A, Johnstone RA. The Evolution of Paternal Care with Overlapping Broods. Am Nat 2004; 164:517-30. [PMID: 15459882 DOI: 10.1086/423792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2004] [Accepted: 05/11/2004] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Most attempts to model the evolution of parental care assume that caring and mating are mutually exclusive activities (i.e., individuals acquire and guard broods "sequentially"). However, in most fish and certain insects, males can keep mating and collecting additional eggs while continuing to guard broods obtained earlier (i.e., males guard "overlapping" broods). We present a model of parental care with overlapping broods in which males can mate and guard simultaneously, even though there is a trade-off between these two activities. Within this framework, we show that male care is favored by short female processing times and high population densities, which minimize the mating cost of care. Relatively low mortality while guarding is also important for the stability of male care. Female care, on the other hand, is favored by long female processing times and low populations densities, which lead to longer intermating intervals. Biparental care is stable only when the cost to benefit ratio of care was not biased toward either sex. We derive quantitative estimates of fitness for different strategies for two species of assassin bugs with male and female uniparental care and show that the model predicts the correct form of care for both species. We believe our model might help explain the prevalence of male uniparental care in certain taxa, such as fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom.
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36
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Feldheim KA, Gruber SH, Ashley MV. RECONSTRUCTION OF PARENTAL MICROSATELLITE GENOTYPES REVEALS FEMALE POLYANDRY AND PHILOPATRY IN THE LEMON SHARK, NEGAPRION BREVIROSTRIS. Evolution 2004. [DOI: 10.1554/04-023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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37
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Mating system and kin relationship between adults and young in the shell-brooding cichlid fish Neolamprologus meeli in Lake Tanganyika. J ETHOL 2003. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-002-0086-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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38
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Feldheim KA, Gruber SH, Ashley MV. The breeding biology of lemon sharks at a tropical nursery lagoon. Proc Biol Sci 2002; 269:1655-61. [PMID: 12204125 PMCID: PMC1691075 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2002.2051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Surprisingly little is known about the reproductive behaviour and breeding biology of most shark species, especially in natural populations. Here, we characterize reproductive patterns and use of a natal nursery at Bimini, Bahamas by lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris. We systematically and exhaustively sampled young lemon sharks at Bimini annually from 1995 to 2000 and opportunistically sampled adults over the same period. Out of the 897 young sharks sampled, 119 could be assigned to five sampled mothers using microsatellite genotyping. Reproductive females showed strong philopatry to the nursery, returning to Bimini every two years to give birth. Each of these females may rely entirely on the Bimini nursery for recruitment. The protection of known nursery grounds should therefore figure prominently in conservation efforts for large coastal shark species. The reconstruction of paternal genotypes indicates that litters are sired by multiple males, and females mate with different males nearly every breeding cycle. The ubiquitous polyandry reported here raises the possibility that genetic incompatibility and post-copulatory paternity-biasing mechanisms may operate in viviparous sharks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A Feldheim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 West Taylor Street, 60607, USA
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39
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Jenkins EV, Morris C, Blackman S. Delayed benefits of paternal care in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Anim Behav 2000; 60:443-451. [PMID: 11032647 DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2000.1487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Burying beetles, Nicrophorus spp., inter the carcasses of small vertebrates as a food source for their offspring. Females can bury a carcass and rear a brood on it alone, but are frequently assisted by a male whose presence reduces the risk of the carcass being taken over by other beetles. However, the male often stays for longer than the carcass is vulnerable to take-over, and he cares for the brood without conferring any further benefits on it. In a laboratory experiment using N. vespilloides, we found that, in the absence of competitors, male assistance conferred no advantages on the brood for which he was caring, but significantly increased the subsequent reproductive success of his mate, in terms of the mass and rate of development of a second brood, reared alone. We suggest that this is due to a reduced parental effort of assisted females, who spent less time feeding offspring and more time resting than unassisted females whilst rearing their first broods. In the field, a female is unlikely to pair with the same male for consecutive broods, so we discuss the possible benefits a male may accrue from increasing his mate's reproductive success. We also discuss the relevance of these results to our understanding of the evolution of biparental care in birds. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- EV Jenkins
- Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh
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Abstract
The life history favoured by natural selection maximizes fitness, and this implies maximization of fecundity and survival at all ages. The observed diversity in life histories suggests that there are constraints on what can be achieved in practice. Functional constraints occur if only certain combinations of age-specific fertility and survival are possible, either because of the physiology of the organism or because of the ecological impact of its environment. The resulting constrained optimization means that the organism is involved in making trade-offs between life-history characters. A major task for the future is the measurement of trade-off functions in the environment in which the life-history evolved. Natural variation between individuals and populations, genetic studies and experimental manipulations have all been used to detect trade-offs. The last two methods are the most satisfactory, and can be complementary. Experimental manipulations are at their best when based on sound physiological understanding of the traits under manipulation. Constraints can also operate on the long-term. Local optima, evolutionary lags and irreversible evolution may all have contributed to the diversity of life histories.
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41
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Alloparental care in the marine sculpinAlcichthys alcicornis (Pisces: Cottidae): Copulating in conjunction with paternal care. J ETHOL 1994. [DOI: 10.1007/bf02350056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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42
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43
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Munehara H, Okamoto H, Shimazaki K. Paternity estimated by isozyme variation in the marine sculpinAlcichthys alcicornis (Pisces: Cottidae) exhibiting copulation and paternal care. J ETHOL 1990. [DOI: 10.1007/bf02350125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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44
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Egg-mimicry as a mating strategy in the fantail darter, Etheostoma flabellare: females prefer males with eggs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 1989. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00302989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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45
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Allopaternal care in the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas: females prefer males with eggs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 1988. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00303054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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46
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Townsend DS. The costs of male parental care and its evolution in a neotropical frog. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 1986. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00300859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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