Suppose that the males and females of a particular animal species have two types of behavior: care for offspring, or abandonment of offspring. The expected number of offspring are presented in the following matrix.
Explanation: V is the expected number of surviving offspring if they are cared for by both parents. If only one parent cares for the offspring, the expected number of surviving offspring is reduced to αV , 0
(a) If V - c > αV and αV - c > 0 (which results in a relatively smaller investment, since c
(b) If V - c
(c) If α 1/2 (in this case (1 - α)V > αV , and investment in caring for offspring satisfies (1 - α)V > c > αV ), there are two evolutionarily stable equilibria, Care and Abandon, showing that both Care and Abandon are evolutionarily stable strategies. Which equilibrium emerges in practice in the population depends on the initial conditions.
(c) If α 1/2 (in this case (1 - α)V > αV , and investment in caring for offspring satisfies (1 - α)V > c > αV ), there are two evolutionarily stable equilibria, Care and Abandon, showing that both Care and Abandon are evolutionarily stable strategies. Which equilibrium emerges in practice in the population depends on the initial conditions.