Harsh nutritional environment has positive and negative consequences for family living in a burying beetle.

ABSTRACT: Harsh environmental conditions in form of low food availability for both offspring and parents alike can affect breeding behavior and success. There has been evidence that food scarce environments can induce competition between family members, and this might be intensified when parents are caring as a pair and not alone. On the other hand, it is possible that a harsh, food-poor environment could also promote cooperative behaviors within a family, leading, for example, to a higher breeding success of pairs than of single parents. We studied the influence of a harsh nutritional environment on the fitness outcome of family living in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. These beetles use vertebrate carcasses for reproduction. We manipulated food availability on two levels: befor

SUBMITTER: Keppner EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9817192 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature