Evolutionary theory of parent–offspring conflict

ABSTRACT Natural selection can act in different ways on genes expressed in parents and their young, giving rise to parent–offspring conflict. The way in which this genetic conflict manifests

itself at the behavioural level is unclear, and there has been widespread dissatisfaction that the theory has provided few testable predictions. A recent shift in emphasis from models that

define the possible extent of conflict to those that predict its resolution offers greater hope of a testable theory of parent–offspring conflict. Access through your institution Buy or

subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online

access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which

are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS

TRANSIENT POLYMORPHISMS IN PARENTAL CARE STRATEGIES DRIVE DIVERGENCE OF SEX ROLES Article Open access 26 October 2023 REFORMULATION OF TRIVERS–WILLARD HYPOTHESIS FOR PARENTAL INVESTMENT

Article Open access 19 April 2022 TRANSITIONS IN SEX DETERMINATION MECHANISMS THROUGH PARENTAL AND SEXUAL ANTAGONISM Article 21 August 2024 REFERENCES * Clutton-Brock, T. H. _The Evolution

of Parental Care_ (Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ, 1991). Google Scholar  * Hamilton, W. D. _J. theor. Biol._ 7, 1–52 (1964). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Trivers, R. L. _Am. Zool._

14, 249–264 (1974). Article  Google Scholar  * Alexander, R. D. _A. Rev. Ecol. Syst._ 5, 325–383 (1974). Article  Google Scholar  * Mock, D. W. & Forbes, L. S. _Trends Ecol. Evol._ 7,

409–413 (1992). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Bateson, P. _Trends Ecol. Evol._ 9, 399–403 (1994). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Trivers, R. L. & Hare, H. _Science_ 191, 249–263

(1976). Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar  * Godfray, H. C. J. _Am. Nat._ 129, 221–233 (1987). Article  Google Scholar  * Nonacs, P. _Q. Rev. Biol._ 61, 1–21 (1986). Article  Google Scholar

  * Boomsma, J. J. _Am. Nat._ 133, 517–532 (1989). Article  Google Scholar  * Bourke, A. F. G. Q. _Rev. Biol._ 63, 291–311 (1988). Article  Google Scholar  * Rosenheim, J. A. _Am. Nat._ 141,

90–104 (1993). Article  Google Scholar  * Eshel, I. & Sansone, E. _Am. Nat._ 138, 954–972 (1991). Article  Google Scholar  * Eshel, I. & Sansone, E. _Am. Nat._ 143, 987–1006 (1994).

Article  Google Scholar  * Uma Shaanker, R., Ganeshaiah, K. N. & Bawa, K. S. _A. Rev. Ecol. Syst._ 19, 177–205 (1988). Article  Google Scholar  * Queller, D. C. _Oxford Surv. evol.

Biol._ 6, 73–109 (1989). Google Scholar  * Emlen, S. T. & Wrege, P. H. _Nature_ 356, 331–333 (1992). Article  ADS  Google Scholar  * Haig, D. & Graham, C. _Cell_ 64, 1045–1046

(1995). Google Scholar  * Haig, D. Q. _Rev. Biol._ 68, 495–532 (1993). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Haig, D. _Devl Biol._ 3, 153–160 (1992). Google Scholar  * Dawkins, R. _The Selfish

Gene_ (Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 1976). Google Scholar  * Johnstone, R. A. _Nature_ 372, 172–175 (1994). Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar  * Parker, G. A. _Anim. Behav._ 33, 519–533

(1985). Article  Google Scholar  * Lundberg, S. & Smith, H. _J. theor. Biol._ (1994). * Godfray, H. C. J. & Parker, G. A. _Phil. Trans. R. Soc._ B332, 67–79 (1991). Article  Google

Scholar  * Godfray, H. C. J. & Parker, G. A. _Anim. Behav._ 43, 473–490 (1992). Article  Google Scholar  * Roitberg, B. D. & Mangel, M. _Am. Nat._ 142, 443–456 (1993). Article  CAS 

Google Scholar  * Parker, G. A. & Mock, D. W. _Evol. Ecol._ 1, 161–174 (1987). Article  Google Scholar  * Redondo, T. & Castro, F. _Ibis_ 134, 180–187 (1992). Article  Google Scholar

  * Haskell, D. _Proc. R. Soc._ B257, 161–164 (1994). Article  ADS  Google Scholar  * Zahavi, A. in _Evolutionary Ecology_ (eds Stonehouse, B. & Perrins, C.) 253–259 (University Park

Press, Baltimore, MD, 1977). Google Scholar  * Parker, G. A. & Macnair, M. R. _Anim. Behav._ 26, 97–110 (1978). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Macnair, M. R. & Parker, G. A. _Anim.

Behav._ 26, 111–122 (1978). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Macnair, M. R. & Parker, G. A. _Anim. Behav._ 27, 1202–1209 (1979). Article  Google Scholar  * Parker, G. A. & Macnair, M.

R. _Anim. Behav._ 27, 1210–1235 (1979). Article  Google Scholar  * Stamps, J., Metcalf, R. & Krishnan, V. _Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol._ 3, 367–392 (1978). Article  Google Scholar  * Stamps,

J. & Metcalf, R. A. in _Sociobiology: Beyond Nature/Nurture_ (eds Barlow, G. W. & Silverberg, J.) 589–618 (Westview, 1980). Google Scholar  * Feldman, M. W. & Eshel, I. _Am.

Nat._ 119, 285–292 (1982). Article  Google Scholar  * Yamamura, N. & Higashi, M. _Evolution_ 46, 1236–1239 (1992). Article  Google Scholar  * Eshel, I. & Feldman, M. W. _Am. Nat._

137, 167–185 (1991). Article  Google Scholar  * Zahavi, A. _J. theor. Biol._ 67, 603–605 (1975). Article  Google Scholar  * Grafen, A. _J. theor. Biol._ 144, 473–516 (1990). Article 

MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar  * Grafen, A. _J. theor. Biol._ 144, 517–546 (1990). Article  MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar  * Godfray, H. C. J. _Nature_ 352, 328–330 (1991). Article  ADS

  Google Scholar  * Godfray, H. C. J. _Am. Nat._ (in the press). * Johnstone, R. A. & Grafen, A. _Anim. Behav._ 46, 759–764 (1993). Article  Google Scholar  * Mangel, M. & Clark, C.

W. _Dynamic Modeling in Behavioral Ecology_ (Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ, 1988). Google Scholar  * Clark, C. W. & Ydenberg, R. C. _Evol. Ecol._ 4, 312–325 (1990). Article 

Google Scholar  * Tokuda, H. & Seno, H. _J. theor. Biol._ 170, 145–157 (1994). Article  Google Scholar  * Clutton-Brock, T. H. & Parker, G. A. _Nature_ 373, 209–216 (1995). Article 

ADS  CAS  Google Scholar  * Mock, D. W. & Parker, G. A. _The Evolution of Sibling Rivalry_ (Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, in the press). * Sjerps, M. & Haccou, P. _Evol. Ecol._ 8,

269–287 (1994). Article  Google Scholar  * Rydén, O. & Bengtsson, H. _Z. Tierpsychol._ 53, 209–224 (1980). Article  Google Scholar  * McRae, S. B., Weatherhead, P. J. & Montgomerie,

R. _Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol._ 33, 102–106 (1993). Article  Google Scholar  * Magrath, R. D. _Biol. Rev._ 65, 587–622 (1990). Article  Google Scholar  * Parker, G. A., Mock, D. W. & Lamey,

T. C. _Am. Nat._ 133, 846–868 (1989). Article  Google Scholar  * Mock, D. W. _Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol._ 20, 247–256 (1987). Article  Google Scholar  * Mock, D. W., Lamey, T. C. & Ploger,

B. J. _Ecology_ 68, 1760–1772 (1987). Article  Google Scholar  * Harper, A. B. _Am. Nat._ 128, 99–114 (1986). Article  Google Scholar  * Lazerus, J. & Inglis, B. _Anim. Behav._ 34,

1791–1804 (1986). Article  Google Scholar  * Smith, H. G. & Montgomerie, R. _Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol._ 29, 307–312 (1991). Article  Google Scholar  * O'Connor, R. J. _Anim. Behav._

26, 79–96 (1978). Article  Google Scholar  * Mock, D. W. in _Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives_ (eds Hausfater, G. & Hrdy, S. B.) 3–30 (Aldine, New York, 1984).

Google Scholar  * Mock, D. W., Drummond, H. & Stinson, C. H. _Am. Scient._ 78, 438–449 (1990). ADS  Google Scholar  * Lack, D. _Ibis_ 89, 302–352 (1947). Article  Google Scholar  * Lack,

D. _The Natural Regulation of Animal Numbers_ (Clarendon, Oxford, 1954). Google Scholar  * Temme, D. H. & Charnov, E. L. _J. theor. Biol._ 126, 137–147 (1987). Article  Google Scholar 

* Pijanowski, B. C. _Am. Nat._ 139, 1270–1292 (1992). Article  Google Scholar  * Dorward, D. F. _Ibis_ 103, 174–200 (1962). Google Scholar  * Anderson, D. J. _Am. Nat._ 135, 334–350 (1990).

Article  Google Scholar  * Forbes, L. S. _J. theor. Biol._ 147, 345–359 (1990). Article  Google Scholar  * Polis, G. A. _A. Rev. Ecol. Syst._ 12, 225–251 (1981). Article  Google Scholar  *

Stinson, C. H. _Evolution_ 33, 1219–1225 (1979). Article  Google Scholar  * Dickens, D. W. & Clark, R. A. _J. theor. Biol._ 125, 301–305 (1987). Article  Google Scholar  * Mock, D. W.

& Parker, G. A. _Evolution_ 40, 459–470 (1986). Article  Google Scholar  * Godfray, H. C. J. & Harper, A. B. _J. theor. Biol._ 145, 163–175 (1990). Article  Google Scholar  *

Andersen, D. J. _Evolution_ 44, 2069–2082 (1990). Article  Google Scholar  * Forbes, L. S. _Oikos_ 62, 325–332 (1991). Article  Google Scholar  * Forbes, L. S. _Am. Nat._ 142, 82–117 (1993).

Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Drummond, H., Gonzalez, E. & Osorno, J. L. _Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol._ 19, 365–373 (1986). Article  Google Scholar  * Simmons, R. _Ibis_ 130, 339–357

(1988). Article  Google Scholar  * Koslowski, J. & Stearns, S. C. _Evolution_ 43, 1369–1377 (1989). Article  Google Scholar  * Mock, D. W. & Lamey, T. C. _Am. Nat._ 138, 1015–1026

(1991). Article  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Biology and NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College at Silwood

Park, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK H. C. J. Godfray Authors * H. C. J. Godfray View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS

Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Godfray, H. Evolutionary theory of parent–offspring conflict. _Nature_ 376, 133–138 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/376133a0

Download citation * Issue Date: 13 July 1995 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/376133a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get

shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative