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Parental Investment Strategies Determined by Expected Benefits
Author(s) -
Robertson Raleigh J.,
Biermann Gloria C.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
zeitschrift für tierpsychologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0044-3573
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1979.tb01020.x
Subject(s) - investment (military) , parental investment , nest (protein structural motif) , economics , avian clutch size , microeconomics , ecology , biology , reproduction , pregnancy , biochemistry , politics , political science , offspring , law , genetics
The purpose of this study was to determine whether parental investment decisions are made on the basis of cumulative past investment or the prospects of expected benefits minus costs. Through clutch size manipulations at nests of Redwinged Blackbirds, Agelaius phaeniceus , we obtained ♂♂ with equal past investment but varying expected benefits. Parental investment was measured by intensity of nest defense against a dummy predator at the nest. Results indicate expected benefits minus costs, rather than cumulative investment, determine parental investment decisions.