ROW: Parental Care and Reproductive Strategies of Burying Beetles

父母照顾的演变，特别是男性， 对昆虫的了解很少，因为它是如此罕见， 对一夫一妻制物种的交配系统进行了研究。 男性和 雌性埋葬虫（Nicrophorus spp.）合作埋小 尸体，建立和维持一个育雏室，饲料和警卫 长时间的生育。 PI的调查 到目前为止，表明父投资的数额N。 眼轮匝肌的数量取决于 由遗弃的雄性和照顾的雄性抚养的后代， 尸体被另一个人接管的可能性 埋葬甲虫和幼虫被杀死的可能性，以及 遗弃的雄鸟可以找到新的尸体并养育另一窝 而不是抚养现在的孩子 本研究将 调查这些因素中每一个的概率， 新罕布什尔州贾弗里的自然种群。 甲虫是一种很好的选择， 研究父母照顾和一夫一妻制的演变， 影响年轻人数量的主要因素， 可以以简单的方式量化和操纵， 产生直接的结果。 此外，拟议的 研究是非常可行的，因为甲虫是丰富的， 在实验室中容易饲养和维护， 在现场和模拟现场条件下进行观察。 所有 行为和生态方面，如果父母照顾和 这种护理的结果可以量化，并相互关联 作为整体生殖策略的组成部分。 结果将 提供一个详细的，全面的成本和效益的图片， 提供扩展的母公司投资，并将有助于我们的 对父母照顾的进化生态学的理解。

The evolution of parental care, especially by males, is poorly understood in insects because it is so rare, and few studies exist on mating systems in monogamous species. Male and female burying beetles (Nicrophorus spp.) cooperate to bury small carcasses, establish and maintain a brood chamber, feed and guard offspring for extended periods of time. The PI's investigations to date suggest that the amount of paternal investment of N. orbicollis is dependent on a balance between the number of offspring reared by a deserting versus a care-giving male, the probability that the carcass will be taken over by another burying beetle and the brood killed, and the probability that a deserting male can find a new carcass and rear another brood instead of rearing the present brood. This study will investigate the probabilities for each of these factors on a natural population in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Silphid beetles are a good choice of animal to use in the study of the evolution of parental care and monogamy because the principal factors affecting the number of young that can be raised can be quantified and manipulated in a simple manner that generates straight-forward results. Moreover, the proposed research is highly feasible because the beetles are abundant, easily reared and maintained in the laboratory and easy to observe in the field and under simulated-field conditions. All behavioral and ecological aspects if parental care and the results of this care can be quantified and related to each other as components of total reproductive strategy. The results will provide a detailed, holistic picture of the costs and benefits of providing extended parental investment and will contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of parental care.