The role of neuropeptide F in a transition to parental care.
The genetics of complex social behaviour can be dissected by examining the genetic influences of component pathways, which can be predicted based on expected evolutionary precursors. Here, we examine how gene expression in a pathway that influences the motivation to eat is altered during parental care that involves direct feeding of larvae. We examine the expression of neuropeptide F, and its receptor, in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, which feeds pre-digested carrion to its begging larvae. We found that the npf receptor was greatly reduced during active care. Our research provides evidence that feeding behaviour was a likely target during the evolution of parental care in N. vespilloides Moreover, dissecting complex behaviours into ethologically distinct sub-behaviours is a productive way to begin to target the genetic mechanisms involved in the evolution of complex behaviours.
Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA cbc83@uga.edu.
Christopher B
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3965-2076
CB
Cunningham
Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Kathryn
K
VanDenHeuvel
Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Daven B
DB
Khana
Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Elizabeth C
EC
McKinney
Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA ajmoore@uga.edu.
Allen J
AJ
Moore
D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D009479:Neuropeptides; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; C076101:neuropeptide F
neuropeptides; parental care