Parental Care

Question 1

what is parental care/investment

Answer 1

the investment that a parent makes in an offspring that reduces the parents future fitness

Question 2

r-selected

Answer 2

-low investment
- high fertility

~smaller
~mature early
~short lifespan

Question 3

K-selected

Answer 3

-high investment
- low fertility

~larger
~mature late
~long life span

Question 4

uni vs biparental

Answer 4

uni = one sex assumes role of care giver

bi = both sexes contribute to parental care

Question 5

is biparental care common in mammals?

Answer 5

no

Question 6

2 types of parental care and examples of each

Answer 6

1. cooperative care
   - both parents or individuals other than parents (alloparental care) help raise offspring
2. no parental care
   - only invest in producing eggs but don’t stay to raise them / produce large #s
   ~brood parasitism = parent placed offspring in the care of another species to be raised

Question 7

why are males paternal

Answer 7

• more attractive
• allows females more time to forage = increase fertility

Question 8

parental favouritism

Answer 8

• sex bias
• laying order
• healthier

Question 9

parent offspring conflict

Answer 9

offspring may demand more resources than parents are willing to provide

• parents are equally related to all offspring while offspring are more related to themselves than siblings (want resources to themselves, while parents want to share among all)

Question 10

is begging an honest signal?

Answer 10

depends on if actually need resources or if are manipulating to get more than they need

• some begging is bragging
• dif colored gapes effect amount given

Question 11

how does a parent feed in good vs bad enviro

Answer 11

in bad quality enviro:
- brood reduction = produce a larger offspring
- parent feeds one in best condition
- signal quality

in good:
- appropriate number of eggs/ offspring
- parents feed the one in worst condition
- signal need