Divergence in Reproductive Behaviors Is Associated with the Evolutionary Loss of Parental Care.

ABSTRACT: AbstractThe mechanisms underlying the divergence of reproductive strategies between closely related species are still poorly understood. Additionally, it is unclear which selective factors drive the evolution of reproductive behavioral variation and how these traits coevolve, particularly during early divergence. To address these questions, we quantified behavioral differences in a recently diverged pair of Nova Scotian three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations, which vary in parental care, with one population displaying paternal care and the other lacking this. We compared both populations, and a full reciprocal F₁ hybrid cross, across four major reproductive stages: territoriality, nesting, courtship, and parenting. We identified significant divergen

SUBMITTER: Behrens C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11498018 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature