Parent-Offspring Conflict and the Allocation of Parental Investment in the Feral Pigeon (Columba Livia) (Nestling Growth, Concorde Fallacy, Food Limitation)

Feral pigeons (Columba livia) increased feeding of offspring in response to playback of recorded begging calls. Parent-offspring conflict can account for these results, if parents cease responding to offspring demands when costs of investment are relatively high. This hypothesis was tested by giving a group of birds food mixed with pebbles which increased the adult birds' foraging time. Fathers did not feed offspring with playbacks more often than controls in the group with increased foraging costs. In a second group without pebbles, fathers fed offspring significantly more often when recorded calls were played. Females fed only young offspring in response to playback. The probability of a male responding to increased demand was positively correlated with reproductive success indicating possible benefits for paying attention to offspring demands. Parental investment in pigeons most closely corresponds to a situation where the level of investment is a compromise between parent and offspring optima.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Zoology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Droge, Dale Lyle

• Biology, Zoology

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8701475

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/77673