Partner retention as a mechanism to reduce sexual conflict over care in a seabird
The costs of caring for offspring are predicted to lead to an evolutionary conflict between parents, where each parent benefits if the other provides most of the care. However, in many biparental species, breeding partners remain together for multiple breeding attempts and their respective future re...
Published in: | Animal Behaviour |
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Online Access: | https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/partner-retention-as-a-mechanism-to-reduce-sexual-conflict-over-c https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.009 |
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ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/612729 2024-04-28T08:41:31+00:00 Partner retention as a mechanism to reduce sexual conflict over care in a seabird Bebbington, Kat Groothuis, Ton G.G. 2023 application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/partner-retention-as-a-mechanism-to-reduce-sexual-conflict-over-c https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.009 en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/590746 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/partner-retention-as-a-mechanism-to-reduce-sexual-conflict-over-c doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.009 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Wageningen University & Research Animal Behaviour 197 (2023) ISSN: 0003-3472 black-headed gull courtship mate familiarity parental care reproduction sexual conflict Article/Letter to editor 2023 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.009 2024-04-03T14:41:12Z The costs of caring for offspring are predicted to lead to an evolutionary conflict between parents, where each parent benefits if the other provides most of the care. However, in many biparental species, breeding partners remain together for multiple breeding attempts and their respective future reproductive fitness prospects are therefore intertwined. Since an increase in current care by a long-term partner reduces that partner's future investment and longevity, individuals do not automatically only benefit when their partner provides care. We tested whether selection will favour individuals that reduce the burden of care falling on long-term partners, thus decreasing evolutionary conflict over parental care. Using a seminatural, captive colony of black-headed gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, we show that benefits of long-term partner retention can indeed reduce sexual conflict. Long-term partners had less intense courtships and were more behaviourally compatible, and individuals in long-term pairs spared each other's resources by increasing their own parental investment compared to those with new partners. Lastly, we demonstrate that high partner compatibility in newly formed pairs can select for commitment to the pair bond. Our results highlight that compatibility benefits of long-term partnerships can increase selection for mate retention and increase parental investment. Article in Journal/Newspaper Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library Animal Behaviour 197 15 26 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwagenin |
language |
English |
topic |
black-headed gull courtship mate familiarity parental care reproduction sexual conflict |
spellingShingle |
black-headed gull courtship mate familiarity parental care reproduction sexual conflict Bebbington, Kat Groothuis, Ton G.G. Partner retention as a mechanism to reduce sexual conflict over care in a seabird |
topic_facet |
black-headed gull courtship mate familiarity parental care reproduction sexual conflict |
description |
The costs of caring for offspring are predicted to lead to an evolutionary conflict between parents, where each parent benefits if the other provides most of the care. However, in many biparental species, breeding partners remain together for multiple breeding attempts and their respective future reproductive fitness prospects are therefore intertwined. Since an increase in current care by a long-term partner reduces that partner's future investment and longevity, individuals do not automatically only benefit when their partner provides care. We tested whether selection will favour individuals that reduce the burden of care falling on long-term partners, thus decreasing evolutionary conflict over parental care. Using a seminatural, captive colony of black-headed gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, we show that benefits of long-term partner retention can indeed reduce sexual conflict. Long-term partners had less intense courtships and were more behaviourally compatible, and individuals in long-term pairs spared each other's resources by increasing their own parental investment compared to those with new partners. Lastly, we demonstrate that high partner compatibility in newly formed pairs can select for commitment to the pair bond. Our results highlight that compatibility benefits of long-term partnerships can increase selection for mate retention and increase parental investment. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bebbington, Kat Groothuis, Ton G.G. |
author_facet |
Bebbington, Kat Groothuis, Ton G.G. |
author_sort |
Bebbington, Kat |
title |
Partner retention as a mechanism to reduce sexual conflict over care in a seabird |
title_short |
Partner retention as a mechanism to reduce sexual conflict over care in a seabird |
title_full |
Partner retention as a mechanism to reduce sexual conflict over care in a seabird |
title_fullStr |
Partner retention as a mechanism to reduce sexual conflict over care in a seabird |
title_full_unstemmed |
Partner retention as a mechanism to reduce sexual conflict over care in a seabird |
title_sort |
partner retention as a mechanism to reduce sexual conflict over care in a seabird |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/partner-retention-as-a-mechanism-to-reduce-sexual-conflict-over-c https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.009 |
genre |
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
genre_facet |
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
op_source |
Animal Behaviour 197 (2023) ISSN: 0003-3472 |
op_relation |
https://edepot.wur.nl/590746 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/partner-retention-as-a-mechanism-to-reduce-sexual-conflict-over-c doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.009 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Wageningen University & Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.009 |
container_title |
Animal Behaviour |
container_volume |
197 |
container_start_page |
15 |
op_container_end_page |
26 |
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1797571785491742720 |