Parent-offspring conflict and the genetics of offspring solicitation and parental response

Solicitation displays by offspring and responses by parents are commonly re garded as phenotypic expressions of the conflict over parental investment b etween genes expressed in offspring and their parents. Models for the resol ution of the parent-offspring conflict have assumed genetic variation for l evels of both offspring solicitation and parental response in order to allo w offspring and parental strategies to coevolve and the conflict to be evol utionarily resolved. Empirical research has focused on the phenotypic predi ctions of these models, and little is known about the genetics of parent-of fspring interactions. We review the existing evidence for genetic variation in offspring solicitation behaviours and parental responses from a variety of animal species. This evidence confirms the fundamental assumption of ge netic variation in offspring solicitation and parental response, indicating that offspring and parental strategies can (co-) evolve. We discuss potent ial reasons for the maintenance of genetic variation in offspring solicitat ion and parental response, and the implications genetic variation and covar iation and/or parental effects. may have for the resolution of the parent-o ffspring conflict. Further research on the genetic bases of parent-offsprin g interactions may be crucial for understanding the resolution of parent-of fspring conflict and the coevolution of the behaviours involved. (C) 2001 T he Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.