Subsocial behavior
- Pronunciation
- /sub-soh-shal/
- Category
- Behavior
- Singular
- Subsocial behavior
- Plural
- Subsocial behaviors
Definition
A type of social organization in which individuals, often females, share a nest and provide care for their offspring, but with less cooperation and division of labor compared to eusocial organization.
Etymology
Example
Subsocial species like the burying beetle (Nicrophorus spp.) exhibit subsocial behavior by cooperating in brood care.
Related Terms
- Eusociality
- Sociality
- Communal
Usage Notes
Subsocial behavior represents a step towards higher social organization, but it lacks the complete overlap in generations and division of labor characteristic of eusocial species.