Long-term brood division and exclusive parental care in a cooperatively breeding passerine

2003 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 1093-1108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley W Leedman ◽  
Robert D Magrath
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Brood Division

scholarly journals Offspring and adult chemosensory recognition by an amphisbaenian reptile may allow maintaining familiar links in the fossorial environment

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e10780
Author(s):  
José Martín ◽  
Ernesto Raya-García ◽  
Jesús Ortega ◽  
Pilar López
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Kin Recognition ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Tongue Flick ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Stable Family ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Family Groups

Kin recognition is a phenomenon with an important function in maintaining cohesive social groups in animals. Several studies have examined parent–offspring recognition in species with direct parental care. Few studies have, however, explored parent–offspring recognition in animals that, at best, only show apparent indirect parental care, such as some reptiles. In this study, we investigated reciprocal parent–offspring recognition in the fossorial amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni, a viviparous species that shows potential stable ‘family groups’ in the form of parent-offspring long-term associations. We examined whether adult males and females could discriminate via chemical cues between familiar juveniles which associate with them within their family groups, and are potentially their offspring, to that of unfamiliar juveniles, and whether juveniles could discriminate between familiar adult males and females of their family group (probably their parents) and unfamiliar unrelated adults. We measured tongue flick behavior to study chemosensory responses to the scent of conspecifics. We found that adult female amphisbaenians, but not males, could discriminate between scents of familiar and unfamiliar juveniles. Juvenile amphisbaenians did not discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar adult females, but recognize familiar from unfamiliar males. We discuss our results of parent–offspring recognition according to its potential social function in an ecological fossorial context where visibility is limited and chemosensory kin recognition may contribute to the establishment of stable family groups.

scholarly journals Adult predation risk drives shifts in parental care strategies: a long-term study

2010 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Jaatinen ◽  
Markus Öst ◽  
Aleksi Lehikoinen
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Long Term Study

A conch with a collar: early ontogeny of the enigmatic fossil bivalveMyoconcha

2012 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 652-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Kaim ◽  
Simon Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Middle Jurassic ◽  
Early Ontogeny ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Juvenile Growth ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Lamellar Layer ◽  
First Time ◽  
New Discovery

Larval and juvenile growth stages of myoconchid bivalves (family Kalenteridae) are illustrated and described for the first time. Excellently preserved shells ofMyoconcha crassaJ. Sowerby, 1824 from the middle Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) clay/silt deposits of southern Poland reveal that the prodissoconch in this taxon is large (exceeding 350 µm in length) and characterized by a prominent, collar-like structure arising from the demarcation to the dissoconch. Similar prodissoconch morphology has not been described previously in any other bivalve genus. The large size and absence of a prodissoconch II strongly suggest a non-planktotrophic development of the larvae, indicating either simple lecithotrophy or long-term brooding and parental care for the larvae in this species. Consequently, the new discovery constitutes the earliest well-documented record of non-planktotrophic development in the Bivalvia. The shell ofMyoconcha crassais composed of an outer cross-lamellar layer and an inner complex cross-lamellar layer. This composition suggests that the Kalenteridae may be included in the Carditida rather than the Palaeoheterodonta or Anomalodesmata. The genusPseudomyoconchaRossi Ronchetti and Allasinaz, 1966 is rejected herein and considered as a junior synonym ofMyoconchaJ. Sowerby, 1824.

scholarly journals Prolactin and the regulation of parental care and helping behavior in cooperatively breeding white-browed sparrow weaver societies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay A Walker ◽  
Linda Tschirren ◽  
Jennifer E York ◽  
Peter J Sharp ◽  
Simone L Meddle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Cooperative Breeding ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Helping Behavior ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
Nestling Provisioning ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Nestling Feeding

In many cooperatively breeding societies non-breeding individuals help to rear the offspring of breeders. The physiological mechanisms that regulate such cooperative helping behavior are poorly understood, but may have been co-opted, during the evolution of cooperative breeding, from pre-existing mechanisms that regulated parental care. Key among these may be a role for prolactin. Here we investigate whether natural variation in circulating prolactin levels predicts both parental and helper contributions to nestling provisioning in cooperatively breeding white-browed sparrow weavers, Plocepasser mahali. In sparrow weaver groups, a single dominant pair monopolize reproduction and non-breeding subordinates help with nestling feeding. We show that: (i) among parents, dominant females feed nestlings at higher rates, make longer provisioning visits and have higher prolactin levels than dominant males; and (ii) among subordinates, engaged in cooperative helping behavior, those within their natal groups feed nestlings at higher rates and have higher prolactin levels than immigrants. Moreover, continuous variation in prolactin levels positively predicts nestling-provisioning rates and mean provisioning visit durations when all bird classes are combined. These relationships are principally driven by differences among bird classes in both circulating prolactin levels and provisioning traits; the more limited within-class variation in prolactin and provisioning traits were not evidently correlated, highlighting a likely role for additional mechanisms in the fine-scale regulation of care. Our findings broadly support the hypothesis that parental care and cooperative helping behavior are regulated by a common underlying mechanism and highlight the need for experimentation to now establish the causality of any role for prolactin.

scholarly journals An Examination of Psychological Resilience and Remembered Parental Care among University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Ozgur Demirci Seyrek ◽  
Ercümend Ersanlı
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Paternal Care ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Psychological Resilience ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
Strong Positive Relationship ◽  
Significant Difference

In this study, the aim was to examine the relationship between the psychological resilience and remembered parental care of college students in young adulthood and whether this relationship varies according to gender and perceived socio-economic level. A correlational model was used as a research model. For data collection purposes, ‘‘a personal information form,’’ the “Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults” and the “Parental Bonding Instrument” were used by the researchers. The age range of individuals involved in the study ranged from 18 to 26. The research results were tested with SPSS 21. A strong positive relationship was found between remembered mother and remembered father care, while a moderately positive relationship was found between psychological resilience and remembered mother and father care. One of the findings is that there was a significant difference between the care of mothers and of fathers as remembered by male and by female participants. In addition, the study found that there was a statistically significant difference in the level of remembered maternal care, remembered paternal care, and psychological resilience in terms of perceived socioeconomic level. Based on these results, it can be argued that perceived socioeconomic status, which refers to the perception of the presence of means one possesses, had an impact on the individual’s psychological resilience in a direct proportion. In line with the findings, the significant correlation between remembered mother’s care and remembered father’s care can be shown as a long-term contribution to the positive effect on children of the rapport between mother and father. Alongside the fact that the remembered mother’s and father’s care was an important variable in predicting the factors that affected the psychological resilience of undergraduates, it is noted that democratic, caring and warm paternal attitudes are important, rather than the traditional sex-oriented attitudes. Hence, one can argue that it is of importance that fathers and fathers-to-be have increased awareness of their roles in the long-term development of psychologically resilient youngsters, by means of taking on more responsibilities in childrearing.

scholarly journals Brood Division and the Ontogeny of Caching Behaviour in the North Island robin (Petroica longipes)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lisabertha Clark
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Female Parent ◽  
Avian Species ◽  
The North ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Brood Division ◽  
And Function

<p>The post-fledging period is an important, but understudied, stage of avian development. This is despite the fact that the parental care and behavioural development of young observed during this period contribute significantly toward offspring survival. A key factor that has contributed to the lack of research in this area has been the difficulty with which parents and offspring can be observed during this period.  The North Island robin (Petroica longipes) is a small insectivorous passerine native to New Zealand forests. As a result of the historic absence of mammalian predators, North Island robins lack pronounced anti-predator behaviours and are fearless towards humans. This makes them ideal subjects for behavioural studies in the wild because human presence does not alter their daily activities.  Using field observations, the present study examined parental care and the development of caching during the post-fledging period in wild North Island robins. Brood division is a form of preferential post-fledging care that is well documented among avian species in the northern hemisphere. In contrast, little is known about the incidence and function of brood division in avian species outside this region. Across two breeding seasons (2014-2015 and 2015-2016), feeding interactions between parents and offspring were observed during nestling and fledgling development to determine the timing of and factors influencing brood division in robins. Brood division occurred around the time young left the nest and was common amongst broods which fledged two or more young. The male parent typically cared for male and larger fledglings and the female parent for female and smaller fledglings. The results of this study match patterns observed in northern hemisphere species suggesting that brood division provides the same adaptive advantages to species regardless of geographical context.  Caching, the handling of food to preserve it for future consumption, is an important strategy which allows numerous avian species to deal with natural fluctuations in food supply. In recent decades, caching has become a widely-used paradigm for examining a range of cognitive processes in birds, such as social cognition and spatial memory. However, much is still unknown about how caching develops in young birds, especially in the wild. Over a 12-week period following fledging, the ontogeny of caching and cache retrieval was observed for 34 juvenile robins. Juveniles began caching shortly after achieving foraging independency (approximately 5 weeks after fledging) and their caching rates increased gradually with age. Retrieval of caches began spontaneously as soon as they had begun to cache and retrieval rates remained constant throughout development. Results suggest that caching behaviour in North Island robins is likely to be innate, but that age and experience have an important role in the development of adult caching behaviours.  The two studies described in this dissertation examine behaviours that have either been previously difficult to document in the wild or have not been documented in this species. Overall, the results highlight the behavioural similarities between the North Island robin and other avian species exhibiting brood division and caching. Additionally, they also demonstrate the suitability of the North Island robin for future behavioural research given the ease with which these birds can be observed in the wild.</p>

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