BIOC54H3 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Cowbird, Superb Fairywren, Paternal Care
9 May 2012
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Cost-benefit analysis of parental care: parental care needed to enhance survival of offspring but dangers to the parents also exist (eg. predators). Martin predicted that parent birds should adapt their parental care depending on two factors: (1) nature of the predator- does it eat the prey or the adults? (2) annual mortality rate of adults. If mortality is low, chances to reproduce again in other seasons is high so adult birds should try to secure their own survival. If adult mortality is high, adult birds should make sure their offspring survive since their own chances of survival are limited and hence they may not be able to have another clutch. Perhaps: because females have already invested so much in an egg, they are more inclined to make sure their offspring live. But this theory fails with some species that lay expensive-to-make eggs and then abandon them.
