PHYSCI M140 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Echidna, Parasitism, Crop Milk
Document Summary
Thinking about adaptive function of parental care and why it is to an individual advantage to take care of offspring or to produce but not invest in care for offspring. Little to no care in most vertebrate species. In some fish species, bias toward paternal care: ex. blue-banded goby: only perform care for offspring if male. Reproductive success for both male/female highest when all effort is put into mating, not care. Offspri(cid:374)g do(cid:374)(cid:859)t (cid:271)e(cid:374)efit fro(cid:373) (cid:272)are/pare(cid:374)ts u(cid:374)a(cid:271)le to effe(cid:272)ti(cid:448)ely prote(cid:272)t/offspri(cid:374)g (cid:272)a(cid:374) fi(cid:374)d o(cid:449)(cid:374) food effi(cid:272)ie(cid:374)tly. Usually production of high volume of offspring investment in quantity instead of quality. Example in fish: releasing of gametes into ocean neither parent ever sees or interacts with offspring. In fish, usually happens when the female lays and abandons the eggs (external fertilization) male inseminates eggs. Male may mouth brood, brood in pouch (considered male pregnancy), or watch over fertilized eggs/fry. May also provide nutrients and immunity to offspring.