Oosthuizen, Wessel ChristiaanDe Bruyn, P.J. Nico2009-05-272009-05-272009Oosthuizen, WC & De Bruyn, P.J.N. 2009, ‘King penguin brooding and defending a sub-Antarctic skua chick’, Polar Biology, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 303-305. [http://www.springer.com/life+sci/ecology/journal/300]0722-406010.1007/s00300-008-0566-1http://hdl.handle.net/2263/10214Interspecific parental care is rare, conveys no ultimate evolutionary advantage, and is usually attributed to reproductive errors in species with analogous habitat, behaviour and diet. We report on interspecific parental care (brooding and “defence” of unrelated chick) provided by a king penguin to a sub-Antarctic skua chick on Marion Island, despite substantial risk of injury to the penguin due to the presence of the true parents.enSpringer. The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comAlloparental careAptenodytes patagonicusCatharacta antarcticaInterspecific adoptionMarion IslandKing penguinParental behavior in animalsAnimal behaviorPostprint Article