Task allocation in a cooperative breeder reflects current needs, not early-life experience.

ABSTRACT: Division of labour is often perceived as one of the major evolutionary transitions in social groups. Specialisation of individuals in different tasks performed in a territory can increase group efficiency in cooperative breeders and eusocial insects. Nevertheless, environmental unpredictability should select for the presence of generalist individuals, which can flexibly perform all tasks in the territory. Whether individuals should develop as specialists or generalists has been intensively studied to understand ecological influences on the evolution of complex societies. Experiences occurring during early life are crucial for the acquisition of appropriate behaviours in a social context. We examined later-life task performance of helpers of the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus

SUBMITTER: Ferreira OV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12546903 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature