Experiment 1: Parental care and the relationship between larval density and average larval mass

This file contains data from Experiment 1: Parental care and the relationship between larval density and average larval mass. The columns are as follow: 1. care: Full = full parental care, No Care = no post-hatching care. 2. reduced: whether the brood was experimentally reduced, 0 = no, 1 = yes. 3. brood_mass: the total mass of the entire brood at dispersal in grams. 4. carc_wt: the mass of the breeding carcass in grams. 5. no_larvae: the number of larvae at dispersal. 6. density: the number of larvae at dispersal divided by the mass of the breeding carcass. 6. avg_larval_mass: the average mass of larvae at dispersal (brood_mass / no_larvae)

Experiment 2: The effect of larval density on the ability of larvae to enter the carcass and carcass decomposition

These data are form experiment 2: The effect of larval density on the ability of larvae to enter the carcass and carcass decomposition. The columns are as follow: 1. pair: a unique identifier for the breeding pair. 2. carc_wt: the mass of the breeding carcass in grams. 3. manipulated_brood_size: the experimentally manipulated number of larvae on the carcass. 4. density: the density of larvae on the breeding carcass at manipulation (manipulated_brood_size / carc_wt). 5. hole_at_manipulation: whether larvae were feeding within the carcass at the time of brood manipulation, 0 = no, 1 = yes. 6. in_carcass: whether larvae were feeding within the carcass 90 hours after pairing, 0 = no, 1 = yes. 7. mold_at_90_hrs: whether there was mold growing in the carcass 90 hours after pairing, 0 = no, 1 = yes. 8. mold_at_114_hours: whether there was mold growing in the carcass 114 hours after pairing, 0 = no, 1 = yes

Experiment 2: The relationship between larval density and average larval mass at 120 hours after paring.

These data are from pairs in experiment 2 that had larvae 120 hours after pairing. The columns are as follow: 1. pair: a unique identifier for each breeding pair. 2. manipulated_brood_size: the experimentally manipulated number of larvae on the breeding carcass. 3. carc_wt: the mass of the breeding carcass in grams. 4. feeding_inside: whether larvae were feeding in the carcass 120 hours after pairing, 0 = no, 1 = yes. 5. brood_size_at_120_hours: the number of larvae on the breeding carcass 120 hours after pairing. 6. brood_mass: the total mass of the brood in grams at 120 hours. 7. average_larval_mass: the average mass of larvae on the breeding carcass 120 hours after pairing (brood_mass / brood_size_at_120_hours

TelegonyParentage_final_dryad

TelegonyParentage_final_drya

Parental care results in a greater mutation load, for which it is also a phenotypic antidote

Benevolent social behaviours, such as parental care, are thought to enable mildly deleterious mutations to persist. We tested this prediction experimentally using the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, an insect with biparental care. For 20 generations, we allowed replicate experimental burying beetle populations to evolve either with post-hatching care (‘Full Care’ populations) or without it (‘No Care’ populations). We then established new lineages, seeded from these experimental populations, which we inbred to assess their mutation load. Outbred lineages served as controls. We also tested whether the deleterious effects of a greater mutation load could be concealed by parental care by allowing half the lineages to receive post-hatching care, while half did not. We found that inbred lineages from the Full Care populations went extinct more quickly than inbred lineages from the No Care populations – but only when offspring received no post-hatching care. We infer that Full Care lineages carried a greater mutation load, but that the associated deleterious effects on fitness could be overcome if larvae received parental care. We suggest that the increased mutation load caused by parental care increases a population’s dependence upon care. This could explain why care is seldom lost once it has evolved.</p

Bioassays with ants_pairwise tests_10% anal fluid solutions_Lindstedt et al.

Data about the bioassays with wood ants for the 10% concentration experimental fluids. First sheet includes the data and second short description of the variables

Bioassays with ants_pairwise tests_1% anal fluid solutions_Lindstedt et al.

Data about the bioassays with wood ants with 1 % experimental solutions. First sheet includes the data and the second one includes the short description of the variables

Female size, clutch size, and mean egg mass.

This file contains data on body size, clutch size, and mean egg mass for females in the "Late" and "Early" treatments. The columns are as follow: "treatment" (Early or Late), "pair" is a unique identifier for replicates within treatment, "carcass_mass" is the mass of the breeding carcass in grams, "female_family" identifies the family that the female was derived from, "female_pronotum" is the width of the female's pronotum in mm, "clutch_size" is the number of eggs laid, "mean_egg_mass(g)" is the mean mass of eggs in grams

Variation in color and chemical defence in burying beetles_Lindstedt et al

Individual data for the variation in size and colour of the orange and black marking and volume of anal fluid produced under threat in N. vespilloides burying beetles. First sheet includes the data and second short explanations for the variables measured

Climwin and female survival for Dryad

Output from climwin analysis and female survival dat