Acute aortic catastrophes (AAC), mainly ruptured aneurysms and dissections, lead all other vascular conditions in morbidity and mortality, even if intervention occurs. The aim of our study was to give a descriptive overview of the demographic and pathological characteristics of AAC. Between 1994...

Nonlethal disturbance can impose fitness costs, particularly during sensitive life history stages such as reproduction. Prey animals are thus expected to assess the costs and benefits of expressing antipredator behavior in different circumstances and to respond optimally according to the...

Parental care is often beneficial for the young but costly for the caregiving parent. Because both parents benefit from care via the offspring, whereas they pay the costs individually, a conflict is expected about how much care each parent should provide. How do parents settle this conflict? We...

Migratory behavior incurs energetic costs that may influence the time and energy available for reproduction including territory establishment, courtship, pair formation, incubation, and brood care. Conversely pair formation and parental care may leave less time and energy available for migration...

Why do females increase parental effort when caring for the offspring of attractive males? First, attractive males may be poor fathers so that their females are compelled to increase their own contribution in order to fledge some young (the partner-compensation hypothesis). Second, females mated...

How and why do the mating opportunities of males and females differ in natural population of animals? Previously we showed that females have higher mating opportunities than males in the Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus. Both parents incubate the eggs, and males provide more brood care...