Sibling rivalry and cooperation in burying beetles

A study examines the effects of parental care on sibling rivalry and cooperation in burying beetles. Populations of the burying beetle,

Nicrophorus vespilloides

, naturally provide varying parental care, with some parents departing after laying eggs around prepared carrion and others continuing to tend larvae. To uncover links between parental care and the evolution of sibling rivalry and cooperation, Darren Rebar and colleagues allowed beetles in two experimental populations to provide full care. In two other experimental populations, the authors removed parents to prevent care. After 22 generations, the authors created mixed broods of newly hatched larvae and measured larval weight after 5 days as a proxy for fitness. Larvae from the full-care populations showed evidence of competition, whereas those that received no care were likely to be cooperative, both of which are strategies that can increase an individual’s genetic fitness. The authors also measured indirect genetic effects in mixed broods, finding that once most offspring in a brood express cooperative or competitive behavior, they induce greater levels of cooperation or competition, respectively, in their siblings. According to the authors, the study shows how parental care might influence sibling cooperation and rivalry.

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Article #19-11677: ” An evolutionary switch from sibling rivalry to sibling cooperation, caused by a sustained loss of parental care,” by Darren Rebar, Nathan W. Bailey, Benjamin J.M. Jarrett, and Rebecca M. Kilner.

MEDIA CONTACT: Darren Rebar, Emporia State University, Emporia, KS; e-mail: <

[email protected]

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