Environment quality predicts parental provisioning decisions (1999)
Authors
Abstract
Although avian parents appear to exhibit a variety of feeding strategies in nature, there currently exist no models or theories that account for this range of diversity. Here we present the results of a computer simulation designed to model inter-dependent parental decisions, where investment is meted out in small doses, and must be distributed over time to maximize return on investment at the end of the parental-care period. With this technique we show that the success of various simple, observed, parental rules of thumb varies with environmental resource level, and that increasing the complexity of parental decision rules does not necessarily result in increased fitness.
Bibliographic entry
Davis, J. N., Todd, P. M., & Bullock, S. (1999). Environment quality predicts parental provisioning decisions. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: B, Biological Sciences, 266 (1430), 1791-1797.
Miscellaneous
| Publication year | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|
| Document type: | Article | |
| Publication status: | Published | |
| External URL: | ||
| Categories: | InvestmentEnvironment Structure | |
| Keywords: | computer simulationdecision makingedgingmodelsoptimality modellingparental investmentsialia mexicanato capture the contingentunlike previouswestern bluebirdwhich have been unable |