LIFESCI 3C03 Chapter 8: Ecology Selfish Gene Reading Chapter 8

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Life Sciences
• Course: LIFESCI 3C03
• Professor: Rashid Khan

Document Summary

If a mother invests resources (food, protection, teaching, investment) to her children unequally in favour of a single one of them, she is choosing her favourite. Parental investment: any investment by the parent in an individual offspring that increases the offspri(cid:374)g"s (cid:272)ha(cid:374)(cid:272)e of sur(cid:448)i(cid:448)i(cid:374)g (cid:894)a(cid:374)d he(cid:374)(cid:272)e reprodu(cid:272)ti(cid:448)e su(cid:272)(cid:272)ess(cid:895) at the (cid:272)ost of the pare(cid:374)t"s ability to invest in other offspring. Investment is measured in units of detriment to life expectancy. For e(cid:454)a(cid:373)ple, (cid:449)he(cid:374) a (cid:272)hild uses up so(cid:373)e of its (cid:373)other"s (cid:373)ilk, the a(cid:373)ou(cid:374)t of (cid:373)ilk consumed is measured in units of detriment to other children of the same mother. Any adult individual has a certain total lifetime quantity of available parental investment. Do (cid:374)ot spread i(cid:374)(cid:448)est(cid:373)e(cid:374)t too thi(cid:374)l(cid:455) a(cid:272)ross (cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:455) offspri(cid:374)g (cid:894)she (cid:449)o(cid:374)"t ha(cid:448)e e(cid:374)ough grandchildren) Do (cid:374)ot i(cid:374)(cid:448)est too (cid:373)u(cid:272)h i(cid:374) fe(cid:449) offspri(cid:374)g (cid:894)(cid:449)o(cid:374)"t ha(cid:448)e e(cid:374)ough gra(cid:374)d(cid:272)hildre(cid:374)(cid:895) There is no genetic reason for a mother to have favourites.