The Evolution of Parental Care in the Context of Sexual Selection: A Critical Reassessment of Parental Investment Theory

2002 ◽  
Vol 160 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Wade ◽  
Stephen M. Shuster
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Parental Investment ◽  
Investment Theory ◽  
Parental Investment Theory

Comparison of parental behavior in male and female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 434-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy G. Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Parental Investment ◽  
Parental Behavior ◽  
Prairie Voles ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Investment Theory ◽  
Food Caching ◽  
Parental Investment Theory ◽  
Separation From Parents ◽  
Investment Patterns

A comparison of male and female parental investment patterns is needed before predictions can be generated from parental investment theory. One aspect of parental investment is parental care, therefore behavioral observations were conducted to compare the parental behavior of male and female prairie voles. Females brooded pups more frequently than did males during the first week of pup life and, in the absence of their mates in the nest, brooded pups more frequently throughout the preseparation period (between birth and separation from parents on day 20). Females also licked pups more frequently than did males during the entire preseparation period. Conversely, males spent more time outside the nest throughout the preseparation period. There were no differences between the sexes in the proportion of time spent in indirect parental behaviors such as nest building, food caching, or runway maintenance. These differences in direct parental care combined with a female's energetic investment in gestation and lactation result in greater total parental investment for female than for male prairie voles.

Are parental care trade-offs in shorebirds driven by parental investment or sexual selection?

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 672-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. A. OLSON ◽  
T. J. WEBB ◽  
R. P. FRECKLETON ◽  
T. SZÉKELY
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Parental Investment ◽  
Trade Offs

scholarly journals Parental investment in child health in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-national study of health-seeking behaviour

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 150460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Uggla ◽  
Ruth Mace
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Birth Order ◽  
Parental Investment ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Investment Theory ◽  
Parental Investment Theory ◽  
Sub Saharan

Parents face trade-offs between investing in child health and other fitness enhancing activities. In humans, parental investment theory has mostly been examined through the analysis of differential child outcomes, with less emphasis on the actions parents take to further a particular offspring’s condition. Here, we make use of household data on health-seeking for children in a high mortality context where such behaviours are crucial for offspring survival. Using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 17 sub-Saharan African countries, we examine whether maternal factors (age, health, marital status) and child factors (birth order, health, sex, age) independently influence parental investment in health-seeking behaviours: two preventative behaviours (malaria net use and immunization) and two curative ones (treating fever and diarrhoea). Results indicate that children with lower birth order, older mothers and mothers with better health status have higher odds of investment. The effects of a child’s sex and health status and whether the mother is polygynously married vary depending on the type of health-seeking behaviour (preventative versus curative). We discuss how these results square with predictions from parental investment theory pertaining to the state of mothers and children, and reflect on some potential mechanisms and directions for future research.

Parental Investment Theory and Nest Defense by Eastern Kingbirds

2009 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas J. Redmond ◽  
Michael T. Murphy ◽  
Amy C. Dolan ◽  
Karen Sexton
Keyword(s):  
Parental Investment ◽  
Nest Defense ◽  
Investment Theory ◽  
Parental Investment Theory
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