Suckling behaviour does not measure milk intake in horses, Equus caballus

Article Abstract:

Milk transfer is a costly parental input for mammals, and has been measured through suckling behavior, since actual milk intake is not easy to assess. The assumption has often been that offspring that suckle for longer will obtain more milk, but this should be questioned. Mare's milk was labeled using radioactive isotope methods, and the amount of milk taken by foals was not measurable by suckling behavior. Studies that assume that milk intake is in line with suckling behavior will contain errors.

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Advantages of biparental care in the wood-dwelling termite, Zootermopsis nevadensis

Article Abstract:

A field experiment on 49 young termite colonies (Zootermopsis nevadensis) was conducted to test the hypothesis that ecological constraints on successful offspring production account for the selective advantage of two-parent care over single-parent care. It was found that colonies enjoying biparental care were two times as likely to survive the six-month study period as single-parent colonies.

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Delayed effects of paternal care in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides

Article Abstract:

Female burying beetles that have more assistance from a male have greater success with a second brood, though the female may not pair with the same male for this brood.

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