Partner Desertion

Synonyms

Mate desertion

Definition

Partner desertion occurs when one member of a mated pair absconds, leaving the remaining partner to care for any offspring alone.

Introduction

In systems with biparental care, parents are caught in a cooperative dilemma. Each partner could potentially benefit by deserting its mate and their young to begin a new breeding attempt with a different partner or to conserve energy for future reproduction, if the deserted partner rears the young alone. However, the costs of desertion can outweigh potential benefits if a deserted partner is incapable of raising young successfully alone, is itself likely to desert the young, or is selected to incompletely compensate for the loss of the partner’s care (Trivers 1972; Dawkins 1976; Lazarus 1990). A variety of factors can influence whether a breeding individual gains fitness benefits from deserting its mate, and many questions remain about how these factors interact as well as which are most important in driving...