Genetic and Social Transmission of Parental Sex Roles in Zebra Finch Families

Parental care plays a central, reinforcing role in the evolution of sex roles and its development is often reported to be driven by genetic, rather than environmental effects. Based on these studies, however, genetic inheritance does not account fully for the often-significant phenotypic variability observed within species, a variation that we hypothesized may be explained by social effects from parents. Following a full cross-fostering design, here we aimed at disentangling genetic and social parental effects in the ontogeny of parental behaviours. Clutches of eggs were swapped, and we monitored parental behaviours in two consecutive generations of a captive population of the socially monogamous, biparental zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Using nest box cameras, parental behaviour was recorded for 3 h in two reproductive stages: on day 8 of incubation and day 10 post-hatching. These fostered birds, after becoming fully matured, received a pair randomly and we observed parental care of this second generation too, following the same protocol. We then compared various parental behaviours (such as time spent incubating, or number of nest attendances during offspring provisioning) in the second generation to those of their genetic and social parents. Based on the results of our experiment, both genetic and social effects can contribute to intergenerational transmission of specific parental behaviours, with various weights. However, the strongest and most consistent effect that we found is that of the current mate; a social effect that can manifest both in negative and positive directions, depending on the behavioural trait. Our study suggests context-specific and sexually different genetic, social and non-social environmental effects in the ontogeny of parental sex roles and outline the importance of parental negotiation in explaining individual variation of parental behaviour in biparental species.

An experimental test of chronic traffic noise exposure on parental behaviour and reproduction in zebra finches

Chronic traffic noise is increasingly recognised as a potential hazard to wildlife. Various songbird species, for example, have been shown to breed poorly in traffic noise exposed habitats. However, identifying whether noise is causal in this requires experimental approaches. We here tested whether experimental exposure to chronic traffic noise affected parental behaviour and reproductive success in offspring number and growth in an important model of avian development, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). In a counterbalanced repeated-measures design, breeding pairs experienced continuous playbacks of one of two types of highway noise that previous spatial choice tests had shown to be neutral (control) or aversive. We monitored offspring development and parental feeding rates and nest attendance. Parental nest attendance was positively correlated with feeding effort and was higher in the aversive than in the control sound treatment and this effect was more pronounced for parents attending larger broods. However, neither noise condition affected offspring number, growth or body mass. There was also an absence of an effect of noisy conditions on these reproductive parameters when we combined our data with two other comparable studies in the same species in a meta-analysis. We discuss whether the increased parental engagement is a potential compensatory strategy that alleviated direct noise effects on the chicks. However, impaired parent-offspring or within-pair communication could also have increased parents’ nest attendance time. Future work is required to test these possible explanations and investigate potential long-term costs of increased parental engagement.

Prolactin mediates behavioural rejection responses to avian brood parasitism

Adaptations resulting from co-evolutionary interactions between avian brood parasites and their hosts have been extensively studied, yet the physiological mechanisms underlying antiparasitic host defences remain little known. Prolactin, one of the main hormones involved in the regulation of avian parental behaviour, might play a key role in the orchestration of the host responses to avian brood parasitism. Given the positive association between prolactin and parental behaviour during incubation, decreasing prolactin levels are expected to facilitate egg-rejection decisions. We tested this prediction by implanting Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) females with an inhibitor of prolactin secretion, bromocriptine mesylate, to experimentally decrease their plasma prolactin levels. Bromocriptine-implanted individuals ejected mimetic model eggs at higher rates, and showed shorter latency to egg ejection, than placebo-treated birds. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence that behavioural host defences against avian brood parasitism are mediated by prolactin.

Neural Contributions of the Hypothalamus to Parental Behaviour

Parental behaviour is a comprehensive set of neural responses to social cues. The neural circuits that govern parental behaviour reside in several putative nuclei in the brain. Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), a neuromodulator that integrates physiological functions, has been confirmed to be involved in parental behaviour, particularly in crouching behaviour during nursing. Abolishing MCH neurons in innate MCH knockout males promotes infanticide in virgin male mice. To understand the mechanism and function of neural networks underlying parental care and aggression against pups, it is essential to understand the basic organisation and function of the involved nuclei. This review presents newly discovered aspects of neural circuits within the hypothalamus that regulate parental behaviours.

Social orphanhood – towards learning and understanding to bring help

The goal of the article is to describes the impact of parental behaviour on children’s lives. The main body discusses the neglect of parental duties and the misguided attitude towards raising children exhibited by some parents. Additionally, the article describes the phenomenon of orphanhood and its connection with the problems that some parents are unable to cope with. The second part focuses on the most harmful consequences of certain negative behaviours exhibited by some parents. The final part of the article is a list of personality disorders and the other problems that children suffering from social orphanhood may experience.

Draft genome of a biparental beetle species, Lethrus apterus

Background The lack of an understanding about the genomic architecture underpinning parental behaviour in subsocial insects displaying simple parental behaviours prevents the development of a full understanding about the evolutionary origin of sociality. Lethrus apterus is one of the few insect species that has biparental care. Division of labour can be observed between parents during the reproductive period in order to provide food and protection for their offspring. Results Here, we report the draft genome of L. apterus, the first genome in the family Geotrupidae. The final assembly consisted of 286.93 Mbp in 66,933 scaffolds. Completeness analysis found the assembly contained 93.5% of the Endopterygota core BUSCO gene set. Ab initio gene prediction resulted in 25,385 coding genes, whereas homology-based analyses predicted 22,551 protein coding genes. After merging, 20,734 were found during functional annotation. Compared to other publicly available beetle genomes, 23,528 genes among the predicted genes were assigned to orthogroups of which 1664 were in species-specific groups. Additionally, reproduction related genes were found among the predicted genes based on which a reduction in the number of odorant- and pheromone-binding proteins was detected. Conclusions These genes can be used in further comparative and functional genomic researches which can advance our understanding of the genetic basis and hence the evolution of parental behaviour.

ULOGA RODITELJSKOG PONAŠANJA I SAMOPOŠTOVANJA OCA I MAJKE U SAMOPOŠTOVANJU I SAMOKONTROLI DJEČAKA I DJEVOJČICA

THE ROLE OF PARENTAL BEHAVIOUR AND SELF-ESTEEM OF FATHER AND MOTHER ON SELF-ESTEEM AND SELFCONTROL OF BOYS AND GIRLS The aim of the research was to analyse the connection between parental behaviours and self-esteem of the parents on the self-esteem and self-control of the children. The pupils of the seventh and eighth grade of six primary schools in the area of the city of Zagreb and the city of Split and their parents participated in the research. The children filled out the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Brief Self-Control Scale and the Perception of Parental Behaviour Scale, while the parents filled out the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Regression analysis was used and it has determined that the parental control is the best predictor for the child’s self-esteem. Self-esteem of boys is better predicted by the sets of parental predictors and it is somewhat more connected with the father’s self-control, while self-esteem of girls is more connected with the mother’s self-control. Self-control of girls is best predicted by the mother’s acceptance and control, so that the sets of parental variables, more specifically the mother’s variables, are significant only for predicting self-control of girls. The assumption about the greater role of the mother in the development of self-esteem and self-control of children was confirmed, while the assumptions about the gender differentiation in upbringing were confirmed only in the case of the child’s self-control, but not in the case of their self-esteem, which shows that there are differences in the direction of transition towards more modern upbringing practices. The results, as well as the existing studies and theoretical assumptions, point out the importance of the parental role as the model for the development of the child’s self-esteem and self-control, and the different approaches in the upbringing of boys and girls can be addressed specifically.

Child unconsciousness in 'A Handful of Dates' by Saleh Tayib and 'The Veldt' by Brad Bury

A disappointment in parental behaviour towards children sometimes does not realized by parents. How parents raised their children is one of the reasons children unconsciously experience disappointment, reflected in the short story A Handful of Dates by Tayeb Salih and The Veldt by Ray Bradbury. This study shows that parental attitudes affect children's behaviour. This research uses the close reading method which includes: (1) analyzing the character of children and parents (2) identifying child’s unconsciousness (3) drawing conclusions about the effect of unconscious parental behaviour on children. This study uses psychoanalytic approach. Moreover, this study shows that parents' behaviour toward children’s unconsciousness can influence children's bad behaviour.

A Scientometric Approach to Review the Role of the Medial Preoptic Area (MPOA) in Parental Behavior

Research investigating the neural substrates underpinning parental behaviour has recently gained momentum. Particularly, the hypothalamic medial preoptic area (MPOA) has been identified as a crucial region for parenting. The current study conducted a scientometric analysis of publications from 01 January 1972 to 19 January 2021 using CiteSpace software to determine trends in the scientific literature exploring the relationship between MPOA and parental behaviour. In total, 677 scientific papers were analysed, producing a network of 1509 nodes and 5498 links. Four major clusters were identified: "C-Fos Expression'', "Lactating Rat'', "Medial Preoptic Area Interaction'' and "Parental Behavior''. Their content suggests an initial trend in which the properties of the MPOA in response to parental behavior were studied, followed by a growing attention towards the presence of a brain network, including the reward circuits, regulating such behavior. Furthermore, while attention was initially directed uniquely to maternal behavior, it has recently been extended to the understanding of paternal behaviors as well. Finally, although the majority of the studies were conducted on rodents, recent publications broaden the implications of previous documents to human parental behavior, giving insight into the mechanisms underlying postpartum depression. Potential directions in future works were also discussed.

A Scientometric Approach to Review the Role of the Medial Preoptic Area (MPOA) in Parental Behavior

Research investigating the neural substrates underpinning parental behaviour has recently gained momentum. Particularly, the hypothalamic medial preoptic area (MPOA) has been identified as a crucial region for parenting. The current study conducted a scientometric analysis of publications from 1 January 1972 to 19 January 2021 using CiteSpace software to determine trends in the scientific literature exploring the relationship between MPOA and parental behaviour. In total, 677 scientific papers were analysed, producing a network of 1509 nodes and 5498 links. Four major clusters were identified: “C-Fos Expression”, “Lactating Rat”, “Medial Preoptic Area Interaction” and “Parental Behavior”. Their content suggests an initial trend in which the properties of the MPOA in response to parental behavior were studied, followed by a growing attention towards the presence of a brain network, including the reward circuits, regulating such behavior. Furthermore, while attention was initially directed uniquely to maternal behavior, it has recently been extended to the understanding of paternal behaviors as well. Finally, although the majority of the studies were conducted on rodents, recent publications broaden the implications of previous documents to human parental behavior, giving insight into the mechanisms underlying postpartum depression. Potential directions in future works were also discussed.