Animal personality can modulate sexual conflict over offspring provisioning

Abstract

Sexual conflict over parental investment is widespread among species with biparental care. Studies have indicated that a high degree of behavioural similarity between the two parents can increase offspring survival; however, it remains unclear how sexual conflict over parental care is resolved. In this study, we examined whether similarity of personality traits between the two parents plays an important role in affecting the provisioning behaviour of each sex in a wild population of the chestnut thrush, Turdus rubrocanus . First, as expected, the mating pairs with more similar personality traits had higher provisioning rates than those pairs with dissimilar traits. Moreover, we found that the similarity of personality traits can modulate the sexual conflict over provisioning in this species, as both parents with more similar partners had relatively higher and less divergent provisioning rates. A partner removal experiment revealed how the sole female or male parent responded when the level of conflict over care increased (the removed partner does not provide any care). The majority of males always reduced their provisioning investment, while females’ decisions depended on the degree of similarity with their partners. Females compensated by provisioning more frequently in pairs of similar personality traits (i.e. accepting a high level of conflict), but reduced their provisioning investment in extremely dissimilar pairs. Our results promote a better understanding of the resolution of sexual conflict over provisioning and highlight the evolutionary significance of mating with similar partners based on certain personality traits. • We studied personality and sexual conflict over provisioning in chestnut thrushes. • Pairs with more similar activity provisioned chicks at higher rates. • Pairs with more similar activity had less divergent provisioning rates. • Activity similarity affected provisioning rate of parent after partner removed.