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The article explores the process of ovule abortion and its implications for the invasiveness and seed dispersal of Hyptis suaveolens Lamiaceae Poit species. The study examines the anthesis and dehiscence of anthers, stigma receptivity, path of pollen tubes under fluorescence microscope, pollen-ovule ratio, and time and duration of visits of insects on the flower. It evaluates the total number of pistils with ovule abortion and floral morphology.

In recent decades, Western societies have been exposed to increasing dynamics of change and crisis as a result of ongoing globalization, and of flight and displacement in many regions of the world. The insecurity and humiliation of being more exposed to global developments than being able to influence them leads many people to seek social security. As a result, populist and far-right ideologies have become increasingly attractive to some. There has also been a revival of authoritarian thinking. Based on Erich Fromm's concept introduced in the 1930s, its current forms are described in terms of the narcissistic self- and other-dynamics. Social science data show that, in addition to authoritarian thinking, a narcissistic longing for a homogeneous society makes populist and far-right ideologies increasingly attractive. If we analyze this phantasm of a homogeneous nation, we find at its root unconscious fantasies of care and sibling rivalry, of purity and the idea of the Other, the fantasy of a protective whole. Such ideal-narcissistic states of purity and homogeneity do not tolerate divergences and are therefore associated with paranoia and violence. Ultimately, the irreversibility of difference and ambivalence in human life is denied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two well-supported generalizations from aggression research are that: a) people are less likely to commit homicide against close kin compared to non-kin, and b) females are less likely to engage in direct aggression than are males. Aggression between siblings, however, is somewhat more complicated than one might surmise from those two generalizations. Data from 3 studies collected using undergraduate and Prolific samples (N = 1640) reveal classic sex differences in direct aggression between non-relatives, but not between sisters and brothers. Whereas only a small minority of females have hit a friend or an acquaintance, the majority of females, like the majority of males, have hit a sibling. Although reputational aggression is substantially less likely between siblings than between friends or acquaintances, mild forms of direct aggression (such as hitting) are quite frequent between siblings. Discussion considers several possible limitations of the findings reported here and considers results in light of Trivers' theory of parent-offspring conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family life often involves interactions between individuals who have different fitness goals, leading to conflict. Resolution of this conflict is key for the stabilisation of family life. Here, we used a lizard, Liopholis whitii, that lives in facultative family groups to characterise the nature and extent of sibling conflict and test the role that individual and litter characteristics play in shaping conflict between family members. We found significant variation in conflict between family groups, specifically in relation to siblings. In approximately half of the litters, siblings were aggressive towards one another, while in the other half of litters, there was no aggression observed between siblings. There were no differences between aggressive and non-aggressive litters in the key factors predicted to mediate conflict, including sex, offspring size, or litter size. However, in aggressive litters, the maximum amount of within-litter conflict decreased with an increase in the spread between births of siblings. First-born offspring were significantly more likely to be aggressive towards their siblings compared to second and third born offspring. While one offspring was usually the target of that aggression, we found no evidence that any individual-level factor predicted who received aggression. In aggressive litters, aggressive offspring spent a greater amount of time with their mother compared to non-aggressive offspring. Similar asymmetries in the amount of time offspring spent with their mother between siblings were also observed in non-aggressive litters. Combined, our results suggest that birth order is the main driver of sibling conflict in aggressive litters in this facultatively social lizard species, suggesting that birthing asynchrony may provide females with a mechanism to manage conflict. Significance statement: Conflict is a ubiquitous aspect of family life; it occurs between adults, between parents and offspring as well as between siblings. We show that the extent of conflict between siblings varies considerably within and between families in a lizard that exhibits prolonged associations between parents and offspring. We found no effects of offspring sex or size on within or between litter conflict. Instead, the number of days that passed between the birth of offspring appears to be the main factor that influences how much conflict there is between siblings. Furthermore, birth order was the main factor predicting which offspring was dominant. Combined this suggests that birthing asynchrony, the ability of females to spread out births across multiple days, may play a crucial role in the management of conflict in this system. As the moderation of conflict is crucial for the stabilisation of family life, these results provide important insights into the early evolution of social life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In monotocous mammals, most individuals experience the birth of a younger sibling. This period may induce losses in maternal care and can be physiologically, energetically and emotionally challenging for the older sibling, yet has rarely been studied in wild primates. We used behavioural data collected from a natural population of mandrills to investigate changes in maternal care and mother–juvenile relationship throughout the transition to siblinghood (TTS), by comparing juveniles who recently experienced the birth of a younger sibling, to juveniles who did not. We found that the TTS was associated with an abrupt cessation of the weaning process for the juvenile, and to a decrease in maternal affiliation. Juveniles’ reactions were sex-specific, as males associated less with their mother, while females tended to groom their mother more often after the birth of their sibling. Despite the substantial loss of maternal care, juveniles did not show an increase in conflict or anxiety-related behaviours. This study contributes to explain why short interbirth intervals often pose a risk to juveniles’ survival in monotocous primates. Our results contrast existing studies and further highlight the importance of examining the TTS in species and populations with various life histories and ecologies.

The presence of siblings in a child's life brings changes that require the child to share in various things, including parental love. It gives rise to a competitive rivalry between siblings in feelings or actions. This research aims to determine the impact of sibling rivalry (fights between siblings), which affects the character development of children aged 5-6 years. The method employed in this research is a qualitative case study. The data-collecting techniques employed were interviews, observation, and documentation. Based on the analysis, sibling rivalry has several impacts on children aged 5-6 years, namely the impact on oneself or regression, the impact on siblings or aggression, and the impact on others or bad behaviour directed at people outside of the home. Sibling rivalry is also caused by bad relationships, parenting patterns, and the environment, which can increase the impact on children.

The seemingly innocuous description of Leah as having ‘soft’ eyes in Genesis 29:17 has captivated scholars and readers for centuries. This article advances an ironic interpretation, suggesting that Leah’s ‘soft’ eyes were not a sign of weakness but, rather, an indication of envy and malevolence, potentially contributing to fertility issues faced by her sister Rachel in terms of the ancient Near Eastern evil eye belief complex. In this context, the article delves into ancient belief systems that entwined beauty, fertility, and the malevolent gaze. Contribution: Drawing from biblical texts, historical sources, and contemporary scholarship, this article reveals the intricate layers of meaning within this minor detail.

Greater longevity, slower maturation and shorter birth intervals are life history features that distinguish humans from the other living members of our hominid family, the great apes. Theory and evidence synthesized here suggest the evolution of those features can explain both our bigger brains and our cooperative sociality. I rely on Sarah Hrdy's hypothesis that survival challenges for ancestral infants propelled the evolution of distinctly human socioemotional appetites and Barbara Finlay and colleagues' findings that mammalian brain size is determined by developmental duration. Similar responsiveness to varying developmental contexts in chimpanzee and human one-year-olds suggests similar infant responsiveness in our nearest common ancestor. Those ancestral infants likely began to acquire solid food while still nursing and fed themselves at weaning as chimpanzees and other great apes do now. When human ancestors colonized habitats lacking foods that infants could handle, dependents' survival became contingent on subsidies. Competition to engage subsidizers selected for capacities and tendencies to enlist and maintain social connections during the early wiring of expanding infant brains with lifelong consequences that Hrdy labeled "emotionally modern" social cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Food allocation among nestlings of altricial birds is crucial for understanding the evolution of parent–offspring conflicts within avian families. Empirical studies have yet to reach a consensus on whether parents or offspring determine the food distribution within the brood. In the case of the Plain Laughingthrush (Garrulax davidi), we explore the relationship between parental feeding strategies and nestling begging behaviors. Due to hatching asynchrony, larger nestlings often outcompete their smaller siblings for food, although they do not consistently exhibit higher begging intensity. Generally, nestlings with the highest begging intensity are more likely to be fed first, underscoring the importance of nestling begging in parental food allocation. However, if the initial food recipients are already satiated and do not immediately consume the food, parents reallocate it to other nestlings. This re-feeding tactic reduces the chance of early-hatched nestlings monopolizing food due to their larger size. Our research demonstrates that, while parental food allocation primarily depends on nestling begging intensity, the decision to re-feed hinges on whether the initial recipients promptly ingest the food. Investigation on food allocation among nestlings of altricial birds is crucial in understanding parent–offspring conflicts within avian families. However, there is no consensus in empirical studies regarding whether parents or offspring determine the food allocation pattern within a brood. In the Plain Laughingthrush (Garrulax davidi), we examine the relationship between parental feeding strategies and nestling begging behaviors. Due to hatching asynchrony, larger nestlings have a competitive advantage in food acquisition over their smaller brood-mates; nevertheless, if the initial food-receivers were already satiated and did not immediately consume the food, parents would retrieve the food and re-allocate it to another nestling. This re-feeding tactic employed by parents reduced the likelihood of early-hatched nestlings monopolizing the food solely due to their larger body size. Our findings indicate that parents primarily allocated food based on nestling begging intensity, while their re-feeding tactic is determined by whether the first food-receivers have consumed the food. To date, our research demonstrates that while parental food allocation primarily hinges on the begging intensity of the nestlings, the decision to re-feed is contingent upon whether the initial recipients of the food ingest it immediately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menggambarkan pengaruh toxic parenting terhadap sibling rivalry. Sampel penelitian ini adalah 123 siswa yang dikumpulkan dengan teknik sampling insidental. Penelitian ini menggunakan dua kuesioner dalam pengumpulan data penelitian, yaitu toxic parenting Scale dan sibling rivalry Questionnaire, yang dianalisis secara deskriptif dan regresi linear. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan toxic parenting berpengaruh terhadap sibling rivalry. Disamping itu, toxic parenting berkontribusi terhadap sibling rivalry sebesar 27.7% dengan koefisien regresi bernilai positif, dapat dinyatakan bahwa pengaruh toxic parenting terhadap sibling rivalry adalah positif, yang memiliki makna kenaikan toxic parenting akan menyebabkan peningkatan sibling rivalry. Sehingga dapat dinyatakan untuk mengurangi pertengkaran sesama anggota keluarga bisa melalui pola asuh yang demokratis tanpa adanya pengasuhan toxic pada anak. Temuan lain menunjukkan laki-laki sedikit lebih merasakan pengasuhan toxic dibandingkan dengan perempuan dan berbanding terbalik dengan data sibling rivalry menunjukkan perempuan sedikit lebih sering melakukan perilaku sibling rivalry dibandingkan laki-laki, hal ini ditandai sebaran data perempuan lebih tinggi daripada perempuan. Diharapkan dengan adanya penelitian ini, layanan konseling keluarga dan seminar tentang parenting untuk meningkatkan pola asuh demokratis pada keluarga millenial saat ini lebih sering diadakan pada saat rapat komite.

Introduction: Preschool is the preoperational phase of the basics of significant mental and emotional development. Sibling rivalry and Parents’ knowledge are essential in children’s development. Sibling rivalry in preschool can be a problem because their unstable controlling emotion feels jealousy that influences mental effect activity and motivation toward concentration study impacts intellectual potency of the development stage, and can cause development failure. Methods: This study used a non-probability sampling technique with a cross-sectional approach. The population of this study consisted of 85 parents whose children attended Pembina Kindergarten Kediri for preschool and a sample of 30 parents was taken using purposive sampling. The sibling rivalry was an independent variable; the dependent variables were the level of knowledge and development. Data was gathered using a questionnaire tested for validity and reliability. The Indonesian Ministry of Health’s Test Pra Screening Development (KPSP) Standard Questionnaire and Spearman-rho were employed in data analysis. Results: The study revealed a relationship between sibling rivalry level and knowledge (r=0.405, value =0.027) and development (r=0.722, value

Greater longevity, slower maturation and shorter birth intervals are life history features that distinguish humans from the other living members of our hominid family, the great apes. Theory and evidence synthesized here suggest the evolution of those features can explain both our bigger brains and our cooperative sociality. I rely on Sarah Hrdy’s hypothesis that survival challenges for ancestral infants propelled the evolution of distinctly human socioemotional appetites and Barbara Finlay and colleagues’ findings that mammalian brain size is determined by developmental duration. Similar responsiveness to varying developmental contexts in chimpanzee and human one-year-olds suggests similar infant responsiveness in our nearest common ancestor. Those ancestral infants likely began to acquire solid food while still nursing and fed themselves at weaning as chimpanzees and other great apes do now. When human ancestors colonized habitats lacking foods that infants could handle, dependents’ survival became contingent on subsidies. Competition to engage subsidizers selected for capacities and tendencies to enlist and maintain social connections during the early wiring of expanding infant brains with lifelong consequences that Hrdy labeled “emotionally modern” social cognition.

Background: This study explores the magnitude and timing of sex and gender disparities in child development by describing differences in health outcomes for male and female siblings, comparing twins to control for all aspects of life circumstances other than sex and gender. Methods: We construct a repeat cross‐sectional dataset of 191 838 twins among 1.7 million births recorded in 214 nationally representative household surveys for 72 countries between 1990 and 2016. To test for biological or social mechanisms that might favor the health of male or female infants, we describe differences in birthweights, attained heights, weights, and survival to distinguish gestational health from care practices after each child is born. Results: We find that male fetuses grow at the expense of their co‐twin, significantly reducing their sibling's birthweight and survival probabilities, but only if the other fetus is male. Female fetuses are born significantly heavier when they share the uterus with a male co‐twin and have no significant difference in survival probability whether they happen to draw a male or a female co‐twin. These findings demonstrate that sex‐specific sibling rivalry and male frailty begin in utero, prior to gender bias after birth that typically favors male children. Conclusions: Sex differences in child health may have competing effects with gender bias that occurs during childhood. Worse health outcomes for males with a male co‐twin could be linked to hormone levels or male frailty, and could lead to underestimates of the effect sizes of later gender bias against girls. Gender bias favoring surviving male children may explain the lack of differences in height and weight observed for twins with either male or female co‐twins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research note presents research into nearly forty letters contained in the private diaries of Souvanna Phouma held at the Library of Congress. The newly uncovered letters, covering 1964–70, offer unprecedented insight into a divisive and volatile chapter in relations between princely half-brothers Souvanna Phouma and Souphanouvong, leading figures on opposing sides in Cold War Laos. As the largest bombing campaign per capita in history unfolded, these letters show how the fraternal link between the two leaders did not ameliorate the conflict, as in the past, but contributed to a breakdown in their correspondence. To the degree that they had influence over events, the squabbling half-brothers, each entrenched in his own ideological belief, prolonged the Second Indochina War in Laos by failing to negotiate. More broadly, this note argues that the Royal Lao Government (RLG) played a major role in the US bombing of Laos. Souvanna, as RLG prime minister and minister of defence, was a central figure in this collaboration, which also contributed to the interruption of the correspondence between the two princes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To translate and culturally adapt the Parental Expectations and Perceptions of Children's Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (PEPC‐SRQ; Kramer & Baron, 1995) into Spanish and test its psychometric properties. Background: Sibling relationships contribute significantly to child development; however, to date, no study has validated an instrument to assess the quality of children's sibling relationships with Spanish samples. Method: We conducted two studies. In Study 1, the instrument underwent translation and back‐translation along with the inspection of semantic, linguistic, and contextual equivalence. In Study 2, the validity of the instrument scores was assessed by administering the translated PEPC‐SRQ to 229 mothers in Spain. Results: The Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a two‐factor structure that preserved the original 24 items. Both factors presented good internal consistency and were significantly correlated with other constructs. Conclusion: These results support the use of the PEPC‐SRQ in Spain. Implications: The Spanish PEPC‐SRQ may now be used as a tool for the early detection of conflictual relationships between siblings and as a tool for assessing the effectiveness of targeted strategies designed to bolster children's sibling relationships. Additionally, this adaptation provides the opportunity to carry out cross‐cultural studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tujuan dari dilakukannya penilitian ini adalah untuk melihat dampak dari pemberian pola asuh, perbedaan karakter dan perilaku anak yang ditemukan, nilai karakter apa yang diberikan atau didapat serta akibat apa yang diperoleh dari pola asuh yang diterapkan oleh orang tua anak. Metode penilitian yang digunakan dalam penilitian ini ialah menggunakan metode pendekatan kualitatif. Dengan menggunakan teknik wawancara terencana yaitu pewawancara menyiapkan pedoman wawancara dan melakukan observasi secara langsung. Hasil penelitian yang diperoleh dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan pola asuh yang diterapkan oleh orang tua anak yaitu pola asuh demokratis dan pola asuh permisif. Pada anak kembar subyek pertama peneliti menemukan bahwa orang tua sang anak menerapkan pola asuh demokratis yaitu adanya musyawarah di dalam keluarga, pengarahan anak dari dan pada anak kembar subyek kedua peneliti menemukan bahwa orang tua sang anak menerapkan pola asuh permisif yaitu memberikan kebebasan dan keterbukaan pada sang anak serta mengizinkan anak melakukan kegiatan yang ia inginkan. Peneliti juga menemukan kesamaan pada kedua obyek yaitu terdapat sibling rivalry diantara keduanya.

Simple polyembryony, where one gametophyte produces multiple embryos with different sires but the same maternal haplotype, is common among vascular plants. We develop an infinite-sites, forward population genetics model showing that together polyembryony's two benefits—"reproductive compensation" achieved by providing a backup for inviable embryos and the opportunity to favor the fitter of surviving embryos—can favor its evolution. Our model tests how these factors can favor the evolution of polyembryony and how these underlying benefits of polyembryony shape the genetic load under a range of biological parameters. While these two benefits are difficult to disentangle in nature, we construct variant models of polyembryony that either only include or only exclude the opportunity for reproductive compensation. We find that reproductive compensation strongly favors the evolution of polyembryony and that polyembryony is favored much more weekly in its absence, suggesting that the benefit of a backup embryo is the major force favoring polyembryony. Remarkably, we find nearly identical results in cases in which mutations impact either embryonic or postembryonic fitness (no pleiotropy) and in cases in which mutations have identical effects on embryonic and postembryonic fitness (extreme pleiotropy). Finally, we find that the consequences of polyembryony depend on its function—polyembryony results in a decrease in mean embryonic fitness when acting as a mechanism of embryo compensation and ultimately increases mean embryonic fitness when we exclude this potential benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In monotocous mammals (i.e. where females produce one offspring at a time), most juveniles will experience the birth of a younger sibling in their life. Transition to siblinghood (TTS) has rarely been studied in primates, although it reflects the last step in the shift of maternal investment from one offspring to the next and could thus represent a critical moment for mother–offspring conflict and sibling competition. Here, we used behavioural data on juvenile primates that had recently experienced, or not, the birth of a younger sibling to investigate changes in mother–juvenile relationships during TTS in a wild population of chacma baboons, Papio ursinus. We show that (1) mother–juvenile spatial associations remained stable; (2) mothers did not decrease their probability of initiating proximity or affiliation with their juvenile; and (3) juveniles initiated proximity and affiliation more frequently towards their mothers, and showed more signs of anxiety, after the birth of their younger sibling. Taken together, these findings suggest that juveniles with a younger sibling solicit their mother more often and seek more maternal attention than juveniles without. Overall, mother–offspring conflict could extend into the postweaning period, during which more subtle maternal resources, such as maternal attention, could be at stake in competitive sibling relationships. • We examine the transition to siblinghood in wild chacma baboons. • Maternal behaviour does not change following the birth of a younger sibling. • But juveniles solicit their mother more often, and show more signs of anxiety. • These results suggest that weaned siblings may compete for maternal attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date no research has examined Master of Social Work (MSW) students' capacity to address physical and emotional sibling violence (SV) and those factors which may influence this capability. This pilot study examined a sample of MSW students in the Midwestern United States and their perceived capacity to address physical and emotional SV including the influence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Results from students' self-assessments indicated most students had not been exposed to SV content and ACEs were correlated with receiving and perpetrating SV. Differences were found based on the number of ACEs experienced and the frequency of SV behaviors, but not the capacity to address SV. Implications for training students are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sibling cannibalism has rarely been documented in the resource-based context of sibling rivalry. The solitary wasp Isodontia harmandi (Pérez) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) has an exceptional style of nursery 'communal brood cells', in which multiple larvae gregariously develop while relying on maternal prey provisioning. In this species there are several distinct features; e.g. cannibalism-driven brood reduction, single-sex broods, and mass provisioning. Rearing of the wasp larvae in artificial nest chambers provides the novel opportunity to study larval interactions under controlled conditions. To determine the factors that influence the occurrence of cannibalism and its timing, we conducted a rearing experiment using sib and non-sib pairs under two prey-availability treatments, and recorded the occurrence of cannibalism and the processes of larval growth and prey consumption over a 96-hr period. Cannibalism occurred more frequently in the low-prey treatment than in the high-prey treatment, and in female pairs than in male pairs. Cannibalism tended to occur earlier when the amount of prey remaining decreased rapidly. However, cannibalism did not occur only when all prey had been completely consumed, implying that it was not triggered directly by prey exhaustion. Cannibals were always larger than their victims, whose growth rates had often slowed before they were eaten. These results strongly imply that wasp larvae commit sibling cannibalism in the context of resource-based sibling rivalry, ensuring the double benefit of nutritional gains and reduced resource competition. We also investigated the possibility that wasp larvae monitor the size difference and/or body condition of brood-mates as an indicator of prey availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of birth order has been the subject of debate for centuries, and has captured the attention of the general public and researchers alike. Despite this interest, scholars have little understanding of the impact birth order has on CEOs and their strategic decisions. With this in mind, we develop theory that explains how CEO birth order may be associated with strategic risk taking. Drawing from evolutionary theory arguments related to birth order, we theorize that CEO birth order is positively associated with strategic risk taking; that is, earlier-born CEOs will take less risk than later-born CEOs. As evolutionary theory proposes that birth order effects are driven by sibling rivalry, we also argue that this relationship is moderated by three factors related to sibling rivalry: age gap between a CEO and the closest born sibling, CEO age, and the presence of a sibling CEO. Our results provide support for our theorizing and suggest that birth order may have important implications for organizations. We believe this study helps advance strategic management research, the broader multidisciplinary "family science" literature, and the much-needed cross-pollination of ideas between the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflicts of interest abound not only in human affairs but also in the biological realm. Evolutionary conflict occurs over multiple scales of biological organization, from genetic outlawry within genomes, to sibling rivalry within nuclear families, to collective-action disputes within societies. However, achieving a general understanding of the dynamics and consequences of evolutionary conflict remains an outstanding challenge. Here, we show that a development of R. A. Fisher's classic 'geometric model' of adaptation yields novel and surprising insights into the dynamics of evolutionary conflict and resulting maladaptation, including the discoveries that: (i) conflict can drive evolving traits arbitrarily far away from all parties' optima and, indeed, if all mutations are equally likely then contested traits are more often than not driven outwith the zone of actual conflict (hyper-maladaptation); (ii) evolutionary conflicts drive persistent maladaptation of orthogonal, non-contested traits (para-maladaptation); and (iii) modular design greatly ameliorates conflict-driven maladaptation, thereby facilitating major transitions in individuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the author discusses the lessons of brotherhood and the effectiveness of fly fishing as a therapy that can be learned from the novel "A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean. Other topics include the relationship between fly fishing and religion, the biblical teaching on sibling relationship, and the Presbyterian teaching on grace.

Drawing on Juliet Mitchell's theory of sibling trauma, this article psychoanalytically examines mimetic rivalry between sisters in The Echoing Grove (1953) by Rosamond Lehmann (19011990) and Deux sKurs (2019) by David Foenkinos (1974-). It investigates why the sisters in both novels specifically target their biological sisters as "mediators," to use Renee Girard's term. Influenced by an old trauma, each sister feels that her self-preservation is at stake when immersed in the life of her married sister. While Lehmann's feminist narrative highlights the perseverance of the sisterly bond through reconciliatory dialogue between the two sisters, Foenkinos's novel does not allow the sister to overcome her repressed sororal resentment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first siblings in history ended up with one murdering the other, and since then, myths and stories teem with similar anecdotes of warring siblings. This article examines Fud al-Ta-karll's al-Raj' al-ba'id (1980; The Long Way Back, 2007) and al-Masarrat wa-l-awja' (1998, Pleasures and Pains) as examples that depict such perturbed relationships between sisters and brothers. Drawing on Rene Girard's theory, the article analyzes the dynamics of al-Takarll's sibling rivalries, and how mimetic desires are constructed, as a way to trace the generation of said rivalries, the creation of a scapegoat, and the instigation of violence within the context of Ba'thist Iraq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son Isaac, known as the Akedah (Genesis 22), is one of the more puzzling events in the Hebrew Bible. Most rabbinic commentaries and elaborations (midrashim) take an apologetic stance, defending Abraham and drawing spiritual lessons from his disturbing actions. A surprisingly sensitive treatment is found in "Altared States," a first-season episode of the fantasy television series Xena: Warrior Princess, which reimagines the Akedah as a cautionary tale of sibling rivalry, coercion, and religious zealotry gone awry. This paper examines the Xena episode in the context of the show's religious skepticism, 1990s spiritual eclecticism, and classical interpretations of the biblical story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation on food allocation among nestlings of altricial birds is crucial in understanding parent–offspring conflicts within avian families. However, there is no consensus in empirical studies regarding whether parents or offspring determine the food allocation pattern within a brood. In the Plain Laughingthrush (Garrulax davidi), we examine the relationship between parental feeding strategies and nestling begging behaviors. Due to hatching asynchrony, larger nestlings have a competitive advantage in food acquisition over their smaller brood-mates; nevertheless, if the initial food-receivers were already satiated and did not immediately consume the food, parents would retrieve the food and re-allocate it to another nestling. This re-feeding tactic employed by parents reduced the likelihood of early-hatched nestlings monopolizing the food solely due to their larger body size. Our findings indicate that parents primarily allocated food based on nestling begging intensity, while their re-feeding tactic is determined by whether the first food-receivers have consumed the food. To date, our research demonstrates that while parental food allocation primarily hinges on the begging intensity of the nestlings, the decision to re-feed is contingent upon whether the initial recipients of the food ingest it immediately.

Parental care , a usefully imprecise catch-all term for behaviors performed by breeding adults that benefit their offspring, is a popular research area among behavioral ecologists. Across Class Aves, it takes many forms, ranging from warming the eggs during incubation — such that the embryo develops within and eventually escapes from its protective shell — to extensive post-hatching assistance, especially by providing food but also by protecting young from weather and predators (Figure 1). In this primer, I will address the evolutionary forces likely to have shaped the peculiar avian habit of involving both parents in substantial post-fertilization investments, rather than just one. For this, I will focus on the costs, benefits, and complex social dynamics associated with elaborate parental care to show that what we may regard as the simple nuclear family (mom, dad, and a few kids) is anything but simple. Parental care is extremely well developed and diverse in birds, most commonly involving both breeding partners, but with many variations on that theme. In this primer, Douglas Mock explains the research opportunities this offers for understanding other aspects of avian biology, including why monogamy is widespread, how offspring communicate with their care-givers, and why sibling rivalry is sometimes so acute as to be fatal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article summarizes the book "Nothing Holds Back the Night" by Delphine de Vigan. The book is an autobiographical story that narrates the life of Lucile, the author's mother, and her struggle against the suffering that led her to take her own life. Delphine de Vigan collects photos, recordings, videos, texts, and family interviews to better understand her mother's pain. The book addresses themes such as family ties, encounters and disagreements, and sibling complicity and rivalry. Through the narrative, the author seeks to integrate parts and versions of a story marked by silence and pain. [Extracted from the article]

Dynastic rule in republics is a global trend. Using a qualitative life-story-and-family-history method to compare two republican dynasties – the Assads of Syria and Kims of North Korea – this article examines how ruthless kin groups establish themselves in power, practice nepotism and corrupt republican institutions of government with dynastic succession. Focusing on sibling rivalry, a potentially destructive threat to dynasties, it contributes to an emerging political science literature on republican political families by exploring five factors that shape sibling conflict and cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We document an unusual surge in fraud investigations for family firms with multiple sons who compete for leadership successions. Shareholders negatively react to the news, while such fraud investigations are concentrated in firms run by families with extensive internal conflicts, leading to strong whistle-blowing incentives inside the family (i.e., sabotage). Using the sudden death of a chairman as an exogenous shock that increases conflicts among potential heirs of the family firm, we find sharply increasing fraud investigations after the chair's death. Overall, our results shed new light on the significant spillover from family governance to corporate governance in family-run organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In animals with slow ontogeny and long-term maternal investment, immatures are likely to experience the birth of a younger sibling before reaching maturity. In these species, the birth of a sibling marks a major event in an offspring’s early life as the older siblings experience a decrease in maternal support. The transition to siblinghood (TTS) is often considered to be stressful for the older offspring, but physiological evidence is lacking. To explore the TTS in wild bonobos, we investigated physiological changes in urinary cortisol (stress response), neopterin (cell-mediated immunity), and total triiodothyronine (T3, metabolic rate), as well as changes in behaviors that reflect the mother–offspring relationship. Following a sibling’s birth, urinary cortisol levels of the older offspring increased fivefold, independent of their age, and remained elevated for 7 months. The cortisol level increase was associated with declining neopterin levels; however, T3 levels and behavioral measures did not change. Our results indicate that the TTS is accompanied by elevated cortisol levels and that this change does not coincide with nutritional weaning and attainment of physical independence. Our results suggest that bonobos and humans experience TTS in similar ways and that this developmental event may have emerged in the last common ancestor.

Sibling rivalry or brood reduction prevailing within bird nests is effectively avoided in solitary aculeate nests because the larvae of wasps and bees usually develop in each brood cell. However, a solitary wasp species, Isodontia harmandi, allows us to study brood reduction in a communal brood cell, where up to a dozen larvae develop in a group relying on prey provisioned by a female wasp. To demonstrate brood reduction in this species, we collected nests at various developmental brood stages from fields for five years (2010–2015). There was a significant decrease in the brood size between the nests sampled at the egg or hatchling stages and those at later stages when analyzing only data excluding nests that were parasitized, attacked by predators, or containing deteriorated prey. In whole brood-rearing experiments, we also confirmed that brood reduction occurred in 30 of 39 nests during larval stages and in 23 nests after cocoon stage. Larval survival was affected positively by total prey weight and negatively by brood size, though cocoon survival was not affected. A third-quarter (76%) of larval death was identified as sibling cannibalism through observation by time-lapse recording on multi-larvae rearing experiments. Therefore, we conclude that brood reduction routinely occurs as a result of sibling cannibalism in I. harmandi. Additionally, as we could not detect any positive effects of clutch size on the amount of provision, female wasps might overproduce offspring due to the unpredictability of available prey resources. Differences in brood size and reduction among sex categories were undetected, except for parental provisions. Thus, sibling cannibalism may efficiently regulate brood size in communal brood cells under prey shortage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Hatching/birthing asynchrony, when siblings emerge at least 12 h apart, is thought to be a significant driver of phenotypic variation and group cohesion that is commonly reported in invertebrates and birds, but rarely in squamates. We examined birthing asynchrony in African cordylid lizards (Cordylidae), a clade characterized by a wide range of sociality (a hypothesized evolutionary driver of this unique phenomenon). We monitored parturition from wild‐caught mothers from four species, which vary in their conspecific grouping behaviour. In two species, most litters were born asynchronously, over a maximum of 3–4 days respectively. The other two cordylids also exhibited asynchronous birth in all litters with more than one offspring, although this was not applicable for most litters because there was a prevalence of singleton litters. Our study uncovered birthing asynchrony in a novel taxonomic group, which suggests it evolved convergently in at least two social lizard clades from different continents. Furthermore, the function of birthing asynchrony and limiting litter size to a single offspring may be similar in social animals. We discuss the potential significance of this rare phenomenon in this disparate taxon, and compare it with other more well‐studied taxa, in order to guide future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obligate brood parasites rely upon unrelated hosts to provide parental care for their offspring. Specialist brood parasites use visual and vocal mimicry of host offspring to induce host parents to care for the parasite offspring. Generalist brood parasites, however, use different tactics to obtain host parental care. Here, we examine how brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) restructure host red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) broods and the consequent effects on the expected survival of the brood parasite nestling. Competition within the host brood is governed by an asymmetric sibling rivalry, with the size of the core brood driving the survival of both core and marginal nestlings. Competitively inferior marginal nestlings conversely have little effect on core nestlings. Cowbirds primarily removed core host nestlings when altering the size and structure of host broods. Host brood size at hatching was reduced in conjunction with parasitism by cowbirds. The resulting brood structures differed markedly from those in unparasitized broods with most notably fewer core nestlings, the most potent competitors for the cowbird nestling. Marginal brood size, however, differed only slightly. This reflects the competitive dynamics: core but not marginal brood size affected cowbird survival. The same asymmetric nestling rivalry that governs competition among host nestlings applies to these brood parasitic cowbirds as well; by altering host family structure, they enhanced the effective environment for their nestlings. Significance statement: Obligate brood parasites must purloin parental care from unrelated host species to rear offspring. Generalist brood parasites, such as cowbirds, face an especially steep challenge, as the offspring are not visual or vocal mimics of host offspring: they are inserted into the host brood and must compete against host offspring. Here, we show that changes in host brood size and structure associated with cowbird parasitism enhance the effective environment for the brood parasite nestling. Through the removal/damage of host eggs or interference with host egg hatching, host brood size is reduced, and most importantly, the number of first-hatched "core" offspring that are the most potent competitors for the brood parasite offspring. The same asymmetric sibling rivalry that exists within the host brood extends to competition between host nestlings and brood parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]