Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Evolutionary biology

Polygamy and parenting

In most animal groups, females put more effort into rearing children, and males compete for female attention. But what about seahorses and pipefish, in which males invest the most in offspring?

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Breaking the mould: syngnathid species.

R. KUITER

References

  1. Wilson, A. B., Ahnesjö, I., Vincent, A. C. J. & Meyer, A. Evolution 57, 1374–1386 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Trivers, R. L. in Sexual Selection and the Descent of Man (ed. Campbell, B.) 136–179 (Heinemann, London, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bergland, A., Rosenqvist, G. & Svensson, I. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 29, 209–215 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Møller, A. P. in The Encyclopedia of Evolution (ed. Pagel, M.) 347–349 (Oxford Univ. Press, 2002).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Kaplan, H. S. & Lancaster, J. B. in Offspring (eds Wachter, K. et al.) 170–223 (Natl Academies Press, Washington DC, 2003).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bull, J. J. in The Evolution of Sex and its Consequences (ed. Stearns, S. C.) 93–115 (Birkhäuser, Basel, 1987).

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark Pagel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pagel, M. Polygamy and parenting. Nature 424, 23–24 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/424023a

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/424023a

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing