To analyze the probability of fledging in nests with complete hatching success, I nested offspring (N = 55) within brood (N = 26) and included the independent contrasts for hatching order as predictors.
However, we showed that nests containing offspring sired by multiple males survived better than nests containing offspring sired by a single male, both in solitary and communal nests.
Birds with too much corticosterone often abandon their nests, leaving offspring to the elements.
Then, we tested whether polyandry and communal nesting improved offspring survival.
Consequently, females might engage in a cooperative strategy and nest communally, allowing offspring defense duties to be shared and potentially reducing the time the young are left alone.
1) As the population studied here was not exposed to nest predation, postnatal offspring mortality could only be explained by postpartum cannibalism by the mother, abandonment, disease, or infanticide.
The family further exhibits unparalleled variation in the amount of time spent (species means of two-54 days), and post-EDP completed (zero to 80%), at the nest site before offspring depart to sea, either alone, or accompanied by one or both parents [ 1, 26].
Purpose-built nests for rearing offspring have important fitness consequences.
While this role of behaviour in defence is well studied, very little is known about how other traits, specifically the structure of architectural constructions such as webs and nests, contribute to offspring defence.
Vertical (uniparental) transmission of the fungal mutualist from parent to offspring nests by female alates helps align the reproductive interests of the ants and their fungi [5] [6], [13] [14], [34].
