Resource availability, but not polyandry, influences sibling conflict in a burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides

Thomas Botterill-James, Lucy Ford, Geoffrey M. While and Per T. Smiseth

Behavioral Ecology, 2017, vol. 28, issue 4, 1093-1100

Abstract: Lay SummaryFamily living is a fundamental characteristic of many organisms social life. Family living is maintained when conditions reduce conflicts between family members. Specifically, low levels of female multiple mating (which increases relatedness between family members) and high resource availability should lead to decreased family conflicts and increase family harmony. We tested this using a subsocial beetle. We show that family conflicts, measured via competitive offspring begging, are decreased when resource availability is high. In contrast, female polyandry had no effect on the level of family conflict.

Keywords: burying beetle; laying asynchrony; Nicrophorus; vespilloides; polyandry; resource availability; sibling conflict (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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