Parental care patterns evolve from fitness advantages to mutants

Evidence

Every type of parental care is found in animals. Maynard Smith (1977) proposed a useful scheme which suggests how such diversity might have evolved. A simplified (and slightly modified) version of it is given in table 2.1. Consider the bottom right-hand case where neither parent cares for the young; herrings are like this. If a mutant male enters the population and by caring for his young is able to have greater reproductive success than deserting males, male parental care should spread through the population. — Diego Gambetta, Trust - Making and Breaking Cooperative…, 372