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Maternal costs in offspring production affect investment rules in joint rearing

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  • James L. Savage
  • Andrew F. Russell
  • Rufus A. Johnstone

Abstract

When multiple individuals contribute to rearing the same offspring, conflict is expected to occur over the relative amounts invested by each carer. Existing models of biparental care suggest that this conflict should be resolved by partially compensating for changes by coinvestors, but this has yet to be explicitly modeled in cooperative breeders over a range of carer numbers. In addition, existing models of biparental and cooperative care ignore potential variation in both the relative costs of offspring production to mothers and in maternal allocation decisions. If mothers experience particularly high costs during offspring production, this might be expected to affect their investment strategies during later offspring care. Here, we show using a game-theoretical model that a range of investment tactics can result depending on the number of carers and the relative costs to the mother of the different stages within the breeding attempt. Additional carers result in no change in investment by individuals when production costs are low, as mothers can take advantage of the greater potential investment by increasing offspring number; however, this tactic ultimately results in a decrease in care delivered to each offspring. Conversely, when production costs prevent the mother from increasing offspring number, our model predicts that other individuals should partially compensate for additional carers and hence offspring should each receive a greater amount of care. Our results reinforce the importance of considering investment across all stages in a breeding attempt and provide some explanatory power for the variation in investment rules observed across cooperative species.

Suggested Citation

  • James L. Savage & Andrew F. Russell & Rufus A. Johnstone, 2013. "Maternal costs in offspring production affect investment rules in joint rearing," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 24(3), pages 750-758.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:beheco:v:24:y:2013:i:3:p:750-758.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/ars203
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Katherine M. Jones & Graeme D. Ruxton & Pat Monaghan, 2002. "Model parents: is full compensation for reduced partner nest attendance compatible with stable biparental care?," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 13(6), pages 838-843, November.
    2. A. F. Russell & P. N. M. Brotherton & G. M. McIlrath & L. L. Sharpe & T. H. Clutton-Brock, 2003. "Breeding success in cooperative meerkats: effects of helper number and maternal state," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 14(4), pages 486-492, July.
    3. Barbara Taborsky & Eva Skubic & Rick Bruintjes, 2007. "Mothers adjust egg size to helper number in a cooperatively breeding cichlid," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 18(4), pages 652-657.
    4. Rufus A. Johnstone & Camilla A. Hinde, 2006. "Negotiation over offspring care--how should parents respond to each other's efforts?," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 17(5), pages 818-827, September.
    5. Rufus A. Johnstone, 2011. "Load lightening and negotiation over offspring care in cooperative breeders," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 22(2), pages 436-444.
    6. John M. McNamara & Alasdair I. Houston & Zolta´n Barta & Jose´-Luis Osorno, 2003. "Should young ever be better off with one parent than with two?," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 14(3), pages 301-310, May.
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