LIFESCI 3C03 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Mouthbrooder, Passerine, External Fertilization
Document Summary
Sexual conflict: conflicts between male and female parents over how much care each should provide. Parent-offspring conflict: conflicts between parents and offspring over the supply and demand of care. Sibling conflict: conflicts between siblings over how much care each should demand. Patterns of parental care involve two factors: physiological and life history constraints, ecological conditions and mating opportunities. Reproductive success in birds is limited by the rate at which food is delivered to the nest. Two parents can feed twice as many offspring, leading to higher reproductive success if both parents stay. In fruit and seed eaters, seasonal food abundance allows one parent to feed young almost as efficiently as two do, leading to male desertion. He has opportunity to desert first (internal fertilization) Male reproductive success depends on number of matings. Offspring have a long period of gestation and are fed by female lactation after birth.