Concept explainers
To review:
The results given in graph A for the energy trade-offs of female burying beetles, which help them to maximize the fitness from an evolutionary point of view.
Given:
Figure A shows the percent of females that laid eggs when they were exposed to various conditions.
Introduction:
In the given experiment, the beetles were exposed to three conditions, which were used to determine its energy investment in brooding and reproduction. In the first treatment, the female beetle was provided with a male partner. The larvae were removed immediately after the egg was laid. The couple was provided with a fresh carcass. In the second treatment, the couple was left with only 10 larvae and a new carcass was provided. In the third treatment, the couple was provided with a new carcass when it had already cared for their hatchlings for 4 days.
Explanation of Solution
Male and female burying beetles meet at the new animal carcass in order to reproduce and feed its offspring by using new carcass as a food source. Parental care and mating do not occur at the same time that is they use energy wisely. After mating, the female beetles produce fertilized eggs on the carcass and both parents feed the new hatchlings for few days. Thus, at the time of parental care, they do not involve or spend energy to reproduce another set of offspring.
The females in the no larvae group are most productive where 90% of the females laid eggs and in the old larvae group, 70% of the females laid eggs. While only 10% of the females in the young larvae group laid eggs. This is because females in the old and no larvae groups preferred mating to produce a new set of offspring as they do not have to spend energy in feeding their offspring.
The females in the young larvae group have to take care of 10 young larvae present in the carcass by feeding and protecting them. New hatchlings can feed themselves after 4 days of parental care. The energy requirements for reproduction and parental care shaped the behavior of beetles to use energy-trade off in order to maximize the fitness.
Thus, the female burying beetles reproduce and provide parental care to its offspring by using energy trade-offs, which directly maximize its fitness as its genes are passed on to its generations successfully.
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Chapter 52 Solutions
Life: The Science of Biology
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