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Related Experiment Video

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A Simple Behavioral Assay for Testing Visual Function in Xenopus laevis
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Tadpole begging reveals high quality.

M B Dugas1,2, S A Strickler2,3, J L Stynoski4

  • 1Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|March 22, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Parental resource allocation is influenced by offspring signals. In Oophaga pumilio frogs, tadpole begging signals offspring quality, guiding maternal provisioning decisions for high-quality young.

Keywords:
beggingparent-offspring communicationparental caretrophic egg

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Animal Behavior
  • Parental Care

Background:

  • Parental resource allocation among offspring is crucial for reproductive success.
  • Offspring solicitation, or begging, is hypothesized to convey valuable information to parents.
  • Understanding the honest signaling of offspring needs and quality is key to parental investment theory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the 'honest begging' hypotheses (Signal of Need, Signal of Quality, Signal of Hunger) in Oophaga pumilio tadpoles.
  • To determine if tadpole begging signals provide information about their condition or hunger level to provisioning mothers.
  • To investigate how maternal provisioning decisions are influenced by offspring solicitation signals.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental manipulation of tadpole condition (need/quality) and food deprivation (hunger).
  • Observation and measurement of tadpole begging signals (stiffening, rapid vibration).
  • Cross-fostering experiments with a nonbegging species and analysis of maternal provisioning allocation.

Main Results:

  • Tadpole begging effort and performance were higher in more developed, higher-condition tadpoles.
  • Begging declined with increased food deprivation, contradicting the Signal of Hunger hypothesis.
  • Mothers provisioned larger meals to more developed tadpoles and those exhibiting faster vibration speeds.
  • Maternal provisioning decisions were consistent with the Signal of Quality hypothesis, not Signal of Need or Hunger.

Conclusions:

  • Offspring solicitation (begging) in Oophaga pumilio tadpoles evolves to signal offspring quality to parents.
  • Maternal provisioning decisions are based on offspring solicitation signals, favoring high-quality young.
  • This study provides evidence for honest signaling in parent-offspring interactions within a species with active maternal allocation.