Dataset: supplementary figures and tables for article " Parent-offspring competition for food constrains parental care in communal carrion beetles"

A dataset contains data from the experiment focused on parent–juvenile competition for shared food resources in communal carrion beetles. We tested whether such competition constrains the parental care by manipulating the abundance of adult beetlesr, duration of adult presence, and resource quality in Necrodes littoralis. Extending the time adults remained on carrion significantly reduced juvenile fitness, whereas increasing adult number had no effect. Thus, competition primarily limits how long adults stay on the resource. Earlier adult dispersal shortens opportunities for adult–juvenile interactions, effectively preventing the evolution of post-hatching care in these beetles and highlighting the role of competition in communal systems exploiting ephemeral resources.