Sexual selection and life history interact to influence the evolution of paternal care.

ABSTRACT: Parental care is essential to offspring survival in many species. Understanding why males of some species provide care, whereas others do not, has received substantial attention. Previous research has found that sexual selection can favor paternal care, yet we still do not fully understand why sexual selection favors male care in some species but not others. It is also unclear when paternal care versus other preferred male trait(s) will be favored by sexual selection. We hypothesize that sexual selection can interact with basic life history to influence the conditions under which paternal care and/or another preferred male trait will be favored by sexual selection. We used a mathematical approach in which males alone provide parental care and exhibit a non-care trait that is preferred in m

SUBMITTER: de Blonk T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11338692 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature