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Intergenerational conflict over grandparental investment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 April 2010

Tim W. Fawcett ,
Pieter van den Berg ,
Franz J. Weissing ,
Justin H. Park  and
Abraham P. Buunk
Tim W. Fawcett
Affiliation:
Theoretical Biology Group, University of Groningen, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands. [email protected]/biol/[email protected]/biol/theobio GRIP, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3T 1J7, Canada. [email protected]
Pieter van den Berg
Affiliation:
Theoretical Biology Group, University of Groningen, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands. [email protected]/biol/[email protected]/biol/theobio
Franz J. Weissing
Affiliation:
Theoretical Biology Group, University of Groningen, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands. [email protected]/biol/[email protected]/biol/theobio
Justin H. Park
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TU, United Kingdom. [email protected]://jhpark.psy.bris.ac.uk
Abraham P. Buunk
Affiliation:
Department of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1000 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected]
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Abstract

Selection on grandparental investment is more complex than Coall & Hertwig (C&H) propose. Patterns of investment are subject to an intergenerational conflict over how resources should be distributed to maximize fitness. Grandparents may be selected to distribute resources unevenly, while their descendants will be selected to manipulate investment in their own favor. Here we outline the evolutionary basis of this conflict.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , February 2010 , pp. 23 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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