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Hauber ME, Nagy J, Sheard C, Antonson ND, Street SE, Healy SD, Lala KN, Mainwaring MC. Nest architecture influences host use by avian brood parasites and is shaped by coevolutionary dynamics. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231734. [PMID: 38196369 PMCID: PMC10777141 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Brood (social) parasites and their hosts exhibit a wide range of adaptations and counter-adaptations as part of their ongoing coevolutionary arms races. Obligate avian brood parasites are expected to use potential host species with more easily accessible nests, while potential hosts are expected to evade parasitism by building more concealed nests that are difficult for parasites to enter and in which to lay eggs. We used phylogenetically informed comparative analyses, a global database of the world's brood parasites, their host species, and the design of avian host and non-host nests (approx. 6200 bird species) to examine first, whether parasites preferentially target host species that build open nests and, second, whether host species that build enclosed nests are more likely to be targeted by specialist parasites. We found that species building more accessible nests are more likely to serve as hosts, while host species with some of the more inaccessible nests are targeted by more specialist brood parasites. Furthermore, evolutionary-transition analyses demonstrate that host species building enclosed nests frequently evolve to become non-hosts. We conclude that nest architecture and the accessibility of nests for parasitism represent a critical stage of the ongoing coevolutionary arms race between avian brood parasites and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E. Hauber
- Advanced Science Research Center and Program in Psychology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 St Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Jenő Nagy
- HUN-REN-UD Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Catherine Sheard
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Nicholas D. Antonson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Sally E. Street
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Susan D. Healy
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Kevin N. Lala
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Mark C. Mainwaring
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, UK
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2
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Zhang Y, Zhong G, Wan G, Wang L, Liang W. Brood parasitism and egg recognition in three bunting hosts of the cuckoos. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10659. [PMID: 37869426 PMCID: PMC10587740 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparative studies of egg recognition and rejection between various sympatric hosts provide insight into the coevolutionary history of the hosts and parasites, as well as the degree of antagonism between the species. Although buntings are widely considered to be a suitable host taxon for cuckoos, there has been relatively little research on this example of parasitism and host antiparasitic behaviour. Here we provided the first report on brood parasitism and egg recognition in three sympatric ground-nesting bunting hosts of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), namely the yellow-throated bunting (Emberiza elegans), south rock bunting (E. yunnanensis), and crested bunting (E. lathami). The results show that for the five breeding seasons during 2018-2022, the parasitism rate by common cuckoos was 0.87% and 0.45% in yellow-throated buntings and south rock buntings, respectively, whereas the parasitism rate by an unidentified parasite was 4% during 2018-2023 in the crested bunting. The rejection rates of the three bunting hosts for blue non-mimetic eggs were 89.3%, 88.9%, and 100% for yellow-throated buntings, south rock buntings, and crested buntings, respectively. The rejection rates for red non-mimetic eggs by yellow-throated buntings and south rock buntings were lower at 76.9% and 82.4%, respectively. All three sympatric bunting hosts examined had high levels of egg recognition and egg rejection, suggesting that it may have been subjected to high parasitic history and that egg recognition ability was retained after the loss of parasitism, which needs to be further verified by future experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Guo Zhong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Guixia Wan
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Longwu Wang
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life SciencesHainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
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3
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Brian JI, Aldridge DC. Factors at multiple scales drive parasite community structure. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:377-390. [PMID: 36421047 PMCID: PMC10098736 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how ecological communities are assembled remains a key goal of ecosystem ecology. Because communities are hierarchical, factors acting at multiple scales can contribute to patterns of community structure. Parasites provide a natural system to explore this idea, as they exist as discrete communities within host individuals, which are themselves part of a community and metacommunity. We aimed to understand the relative contribution of multi-scale drivers in parasite community assembly and assess how patterns at one level may mask those occurring at another. Specifically, we wanted to disentangle patterns caused by passive sampling from those determined by ecological drivers, and how these vary with scale. We applied a Markov Random Fields model and assessed measures of β-diversity and nestedness for 420 replicate parasite infracommunities (parasite assemblages in host individuals) across two freshwater mussel host species, three sites and two time periods, comparing our results to simulations from four different ecologically relevant null models. We showed that β-diversity between sites (explaining 25% of variation in parasite distribution) and host species (41%) is greater than expected, and β-diversity between individual hosts is smaller than expected, even after accounting for parasite prevalence and characteristics of host individuals. Furthermore, parasite communities were significantly less nested than expected once parasite prevalence and host characteristics were both accounted for, but more nested than expected otherwise, suggesting a degree of modularity at the within-host level that is masked if underlying host and parasite characteristics are not taken into account. The Markov Random Fields model provided evidence for possible competitive within-host parasite interactions, providing a mechanism for the observed infracommunity modularity. An integrative approach that examines factors at multiple scales is necessary to understand the composition of ecological communities. Furthermore, patterns at one level can alter the interpretation of ecologically important drivers at another if variation at higher scales is not accounted for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua I Brian
- Aquatic Ecology Group, The David Attenborough Building, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Geography, Bush House NE, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David C Aldridge
- Aquatic Ecology Group, The David Attenborough Building, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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4
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Abolins‐Abols M, Peterson M, Studer B, Hale M, Hanley D, Bentley G, Hauber ME. Patterns of stress response to foreign eggs by a rejecter host of an obligate avian brood parasite. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9691. [PMID: 36699567 PMCID: PMC9848814 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most effective defenses of avian hosts against obligate brood parasites is the ejection of parasitic eggs from the nests. Despite the clear fitness benefits of this behavior, individuals within so-called "egg-rejecter" host species still show substantial variation in their propensity to eliminate foreign eggs from the nest. We argue that this variation can be further understood by studying the physiological mechanisms of host responses to brood parasitic egg stimuli: independent lines of research increasingly support the hypothesis that stress-related physiological response to parasitic eggs may trigger egg rejection. The "stress-mediated egg rejection" hypothesis requires that hosts activate the stress-response when responding to parasitic egg stimuli. We tested this prediction by asking whether hosts showed differential stress response when exposed to host-like (mimetic) or parasite-like (non-mimetic) eggs. We experimentally parasitized incubating American robins Turdus migratorius, a robust egg-rejecter host to obligate brood parasitic brown-headed cowbirds Molothrus ater, with mimetic or non-mimetic model eggs. To assess the stress response, we measured the heart rate in incubating females immediately after experimental parasitism. We also measured plasma corticosterone and, in a subset of birds, used RNA-sequencing to analyze the expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC), a precursor of adrenocorticotropic hormone, 2 h after experimental parasitism. We found that egg type had no effect on heart rate. Two hours following experimental parasitism, plasma corticosterone did not differ between the differently-colored model egg treatments or between rejecter and accepter females within the non-mimetic treatment. However, females exposed to non-mimetic eggs showed an upregulation of POMC gene expression (before FDR correction) in the pituitary compared with females treated with mimetic eggs. Our findings suggest that in an egg-rejecter host species, non-mimetic parasitic eggs may increase the activity of the stress-related hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis compared with mimetic eggs, although the temporal dynamics of this response are not yet understood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Brett Studer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Mattison Hale
- Department of BiologyUniversity of LouisvilleLouisvilleKentuckyUSA
| | - Daniel Hanley
- Department of BiologyGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVirginiaUSA
| | - George Bentley
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mark E. Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
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Ruiz-Raya F, Abaurrea T, Vigo R, Soler M. Physiological stress responses to nonmimetic model brood parasite eggs: Leukocyte profiles and heat-shock protein Hsp70 levels. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:587-593. [PMID: 35312177 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Obligate avian brood parasites lay their eggs in the nest of other bird species, known as hosts. Brood parasitism often imposes severe fitness costs on hosts, selecting for the evolution of effective antiparasitic defences, such as recognition and rejection of brood parasite eggs. Glucocorticoids have been recently found to mediate host physiological and behavioral adjustments in response to brood parasite eggs; however, it remains unclear whether brood parasitism triggers a general response involving multiple physiological elements. In this study, we experimentally investigated whether a salient brood parasitic stimulus (the presence of a nonmimetic model egg in the nest) causes physiological adjustments in adult Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) at immune (leukocyte profiles) and cellular (heat-shock protein Hsp70 synthesis) level. Also, we explored whether these physiological changes are mediated by variations in corticosterone (CORT) levels. We found that experimental brood parasitism caused an increase in heterophils and a decrease in lymphocytes, leading to higher heterophils and lymphocytes ratios in parasitized birds. Nevertheless, we did not find tradeoffs between immune function and CORT levels. Hsp70 synthesis was not affected by our experimental manipulation. Our findings provide evidence that brood parasite eggs trigger a general stress response in egg-rejecter hosts, including changes in cellular immune profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ruiz-Raya
- Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal, Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Teresa Abaurrea
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Science, Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ramón Vigo
- Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal, Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Manuel Soler
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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Fulmer AG, Hauber ME. A review of the cues used for rejecting foreign eggs from the nest by the Eurasian blackbird (
Turdus merula
). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8886. [PMID: 35571754 PMCID: PMC9077020 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian brood parasitism is reproductively costly for hosts and selects for cognitive features enabling anti‐parasitic resistance at multiple stages of the host's breeding cycle. The true thrushes (genus Turdus) represent a nearly worldwide clade of potential hosts of brood parasitism by Cuculus cuckoos in Eurasia and Africa and Molothrus cowbirds in the Americas. The Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) builds an open‐cup nest and is common within much of the common cuckoo's (C. canorus) breeding range. While this thrush is known to be parasitized at most only at low rates by this cuckoo, the species is also a strong rejector of nonmimetic foreign eggs in the nest. Given their open‐cup nesting habits, we predict that Eurasian blackbirds primarily use visual cues in making a distinction between own and parasitically or experimentally inserted foreign eggs in the nest. We then provide a comprehensive and quantitative review of the literature on blackbird egg rejection studies. This review corroborates that vision is the primary sensory modality used by blackbirds in assessing eggs, but also brings attention to some other, less commonly studied cues which appear to influence rejection, including predator exposure, individual experience, stage of clutch completion, and maternal hormonal state. Blackbirds are also able to recognize and eject even highly mimetic eggs (including those of conspecifics) at a moderate rate, apparently relying on many of the same sensory cues. Although the cues involved in foreign egg recognition by Eurasian blackbirds do not appear specialized to nonmimetic cuckoo parasitism, we cannot differentiate between the possibility of egg rejection being selected by mostly conspecific parasitism or by the evolutionary ghost of a now‐extinct, mimetic cuckoo host‐race.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G. Fulmer
- Department of Psychology Fort Lewis College Durango Colorado USA
| | - Mark E. Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior School of Integrative Biology University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign Urbana Illinois USA
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7
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Liu C, Ye P, Cai Y, Quan R, Yang C. Persistent fine-tuning of egg rejection based on parasitic timing in a cuckoo host even after relaxation of parasitism pressure. Behav Processes 2021; 193:104532. [PMID: 34648869 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Egg rejection is one of the most effective defenses to avoid avian brood parasites by hosts, and reflects avian cognition during parasite-host coevolution. However, egg rejection varies with different populations and species, or under different contexts. Here we studied the egg recognition behavior in a non-parasitized population of the red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), which has been recorded as a host of the banded bay cuckoo (Cacomantis sonneratii). By comparing its egg rejection frequency and latency between egg-laying and egg-incubation stages with a variety of nest ages, which represent different costs of cuckoo parasitism, the results show that the hosts rejected parasite eggs more frequently in the egg-laying stage than in the egg-incubation stage without a difference in latency, and accepted parasite eggs with an increase of nest age. These findings indicated that the hosts are able to adjust the intensity of their anti-parasitic responses according to the parasitic timing. A relaxation of parasitism risk and the tradeoff between parasitism risk and egg rejection cost may contribute to explaining our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Liu
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan 666303, China.
| | - Ping Ye
- College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China.
| | - Yan Cai
- College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China.
| | - Ruichang Quan
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan 666303, China.
| | - Canchao Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China.
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8
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Ruiz-Raya F, Ibáñez-Álamo JD, Parenteau C, Chastel O, Soler M. Prolactin mediates behavioural rejection responses to avian brood parasitism. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272569. [PMID: 34605904 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.240101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Adaptations resulting from co-evolutionary interactions between avian brood parasites and their hosts have been extensively studied, yet the physiological mechanisms underlying antiparasitic host defences remain little known. Prolactin, one of the main hormones involved in the regulation of avian parental behaviour, might play a key role in the orchestration of the host responses to avian brood parasitism. Given the positive association between prolactin and parental behaviour during incubation, decreasing prolactin levels are expected to facilitate egg-rejection decisions. We tested this prediction by implanting Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) females with an inhibitor of prolactin secretion, bromocriptine mesylate, to experimentally decrease their plasma prolactin levels. Bromocriptine mesylate-implanted individuals ejected mimetic model eggs at higher rates, and showed shorter latency to egg ejection, than placebo-treated birds. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence that behavioural host defences against avian brood parasitism are mediated by prolactin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR7372 CNRS - Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR7372 CNRS - Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Manuel Soler
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
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9
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Samaš P, Hauber ME, Honza M. A Meta-Analysis of Avian Egg Traits Cueing Egg-Rejection Defenses Against Brood Parasitism. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.703208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The capability of hosts to reject the odd egg from their nest is one of the key defenses against avian brood parasitism. Considerable research effort has been devoted to exploring which phenotypic traits of eggshells facilitate to cue the recognition of the parasitic egg. Here we have reviewed studies addressing salient egg traits involved in the rejection of foreign eggs and used a formal meta-analysis to quantify their relative importance. Hosts appear to rely to a large extent on eggshell color traits, followed by maculation patterns. Hosts respond with similar rates of egg rejection to natural vs. model eggs and when breeding in both closed and open nests. Analyses of experiments on hosts of Cuculus and Molothrus parasites, the two best studied brood parasitic lineages with different co-evolutionary histories, yield similar conclusions. We also identify several poorly studied potential egg recognition cues, such as odor or weight, and recommend exploring even the visual traits in more detail, including chromatic and achromatic contrasts or experimentally manipulated egg maculation characteristics. Recent technological and sensory ecological advances open many new research avenues to experimentally examine the role of diverse egg characteristics in antiparasite defenses.
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10
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Nahid MI, Fossøy F, Stokke BG, Abernathy V, Begum S, Langmore NE, Røskaft E, Ranke PS. No evidence of host-specific egg mimicry in Asian koels. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253985. [PMID: 34242287 PMCID: PMC8270166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian brood parasitism is costly for the host, in many cases leading to the evolution of defenses like discrimination of parasitic eggs. The parasite, in turn, may evolve mimetic eggs as a counter-adaptation to host egg rejection. Some generalist parasites have evolved host-specific races (gentes) that may mimic the eggs of their main hosts, while others have evolved ‘jack-of-all-trades’ egg phenotypes that mimic key features of the eggs of several different host species. The Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) is a widely distributed generalist brood parasite that exploits a wide range of host species. Based on human vision, previous studies have described Asian koel eggs as resembling those of its main host, the house crow (Corvus splendens). Using measurements of egg length and breadth, digital image analysis, reflectance spectrophotometry and avian visual modelling, we examined Asian koel egg variation and potential mimicry in egg size and shape, and eggshell pattern and color in three sympatrically occurring host species in Bangladesh: the common myna (Acridotheres tristis), house crow, and long-tailed shrike (Lanius schach). We found some differences among Asian koel eggs laid in different host nests: a) Asian koel eggs in long-tailed shrike nests were larger than those laid in common myna and house crow nests, and b) Asian koel eggs in house crow nests were less elongated than those in common myna nests. However, these changes in Asian koel egg volume and shape were in the opposite direction with respect to their corresponding host egg characteristics. Thus, our study found no evidence for Asian koel host-specific egg mimicry in three sympatrically occurring host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mominul Islam Nahid
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- * E-mail:
| | - Frode Fossøy
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bård G. Stokke
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Virginia Abernathy
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Sajeda Begum
- Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Naomi E. Langmore
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Eivin Røskaft
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Peter S. Ranke
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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11
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Hauber ME, Abolins-Abols M, Kim CR, Paitz RT. Inter-Individual Variation in Anti-Parasitic Egg Rejection Behavior: A Test of the Maternal Investment Hypothesis. Integr Org Biol 2021; 2:obaa014. [PMID: 33791557 PMCID: PMC7671127 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obaa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hosts of avian brood parasites may reduce or forego the costs of caring for foreign young by rejecting parasitic eggs from the nest. Yet, many host species accept parasitic eggs and, even among rejecter species, some individuals go on to incubate and hatch them. The factors explaining the variation in egg rejection between species have received much theoretical and empirical attention, but the causes of intraspecific variation in different individuals’ propensity for accepting parasitic eggs are less well understood. Here we tested the maternal investment hypothesis, which predicts that hosts with costlier clutches will be more likely to reject parasitic eggs from their nest. We studied variation in the egg rejection responses of American robins (Turdus migratorius), a robust egg-rejecter host of the brood parasitic brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), to 3D-printed cowbird-sized eggs which were painted dark blue, a color known to induce variable and repeatable egg rejection responses in individual robins. Costlier clutch investment was estimated by earlier laying date, larger clutch size, heavier unincubated yolk mass, and variable yolk steroid hormone concentrations. There was no statistical support for most of our predictions. However, we detected more concentrated and greater overall amount of deoxycorticosterone deposited in egg yolks of rejecters relative to acceptors, although this accounted for no more than 14% of variance in the data. Future work should test experimentally the potential physiological linkage between maternal egg yolk steroid investment and egg rejection propensity in this and other host species of avian brood parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - M Abolins-Abols
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - C R Kim
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - R T Paitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
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12
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Variable host responses mediate host preference in marine flatworm-snail symbioses. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247551. [PMID: 33651807 PMCID: PMC7924752 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Host preference of symbionts evolves from fitness trade-offs. However, it is often unclear how interspecific variations in host response traits influence this evolutionary process. Using the association between the polyclad flatworm Paraprostatum echinolittorinae and its intertidal snail hosts on the Pacific Coast of Panama, we assessed how a symbiont’s host preference is associated with varying host defenses and post-infestation performances. We first characterized the prevalence and intensity of worm infestation in five snail hosts (Tegula pellisserpentis, Nerita scabricosta, N. funiculata, Planaxis planicostatus, and Cerithium stercusmuscarum). We then used manipulative experiments to test flatworm’s host choice, hosts’ behavioral rejection of flatworms, and hosts’ growth and survival following the infestation. In the field, flatworms were orders of magnitude more prevalent and dense in T. pellisserpentis, N. scabricosta, N. funiculata than P. planicostatus and C. stercusmuscarum, although the three former hosts were not necessarily more abundant. The results from our laboratory host selection trials mirrored these patterns; flatworms were 3 to 14 times more likely to choose T. pellisserpentis, N. scabricosta, N. funiculata over P. planicostatus and C. stercusmuscarum. The less preferred hosts frequently rejected flatworms via mantle contractions and foot withdrawals, which reduced the infestation rate by 39%−67%. These behaviors were less frequent or absent in the preferred hosts. Flatworm infestation variably influenced host performances in the field, negligibly affecting the growth and survival of T. pellisserpentis and N. funiculata but reducing the growth of P. planicostatus. Flatworms thus preferred less defended hosts that can also support higher worm densities without being harmed. Stable isotope analysis further revealed that flatworms are unlikely to feed on snail tissues and may live as a commensal in their preferred hosts. Our study demonstrates that host response traits can modulate a symbiont’s host choice and calls for more explicit considerations of host response variability in host preference research.
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13
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Egg rejection and egg recognition mechanism of chestnut thrushes (Turdus rubrocanus). Behav Processes 2020; 178:104158. [PMID: 32497556 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Recognizing and rejecting foreign eggs is one of the most effective anti-parasite strategies for hosts in avian brood parasitism. Studies have shown that most cuckoo (Cuculus spp.) hosts have evolved egg recognition abilities. Although some open-nesting birds, especially thrushes belonging to the family Turdidae, are rarely parasitized by cuckoos, they still have high egg recognition ability. This evolutionary selection pressure on egg recognition is currently controversial. Previous studies on egg recognition of thrushes have mainly been carried out in Europe in a single-cuckoo system. In this study, chestnut thrushes (Turdus rubrocanus), which are distributed in a multiple-cuckoo system in China, were used to test their egg rejection and egg recognition mechanism. Our results showed that chestnut thrushes had a rejection rate of 54 % for non-mimetic blue model eggs, showing moderate egg recognition ability. Their egg recognition was true recognition, which relied on a memory template; chestnut thrushes could accurately reject foreign eggs in their nests. This study added the second case to report the egg recognition mechanism of thrushes in the Turdidae family and showed that the evolution of egg recognition ability of chestnut thrushes was likely a retained anti-parasitic strategy because of being parasitized by cuckoos in the past.
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14
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Abolins-Abols M, Hauber ME. Endocrine regulation of egg rejection in an avian brood parasite host. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200225. [PMID: 32574535 PMCID: PMC7336846 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasite-host coevolution can lead to novel behavioural adaptations in hosts to resist parasitism. In avian obligate brood parasite and host systems, many host species have evolved diverse cognitive and behavioural traits to recognize and reject parasitic eggs. Our understanding of the evolution and ecology of these defences hinges on identifying the mechanisms that regulate them. We hypothesized that corticosterone, a hormone linked to stress response, vigilance and the suppression of parental behaviour, stimulates the rejection of foreign eggs by brood parasite hosts. We experimentally reduced circulating glucocorticoid levels with mitotane injections in American robins Turdus migratorius and found that the mitotane-treated birds rejected foreign eggs at a lower frequency compared to the sham-treated subjects. This is the first study to causally identify a potential mechanism of a widespread defence behaviour, and it is consistent with egg rejection being mediated by stress physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikus Abolins-Abols
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Mark E. Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
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15
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Lack of fine-tuned egg rejection adjustment in barn swallows with variable local abundance of common cuckoos. Behav Processes 2020; 174:104087. [PMID: 32088295 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Tracking variation in hosts' responses to parasitism across space in a metapopulation is critical to assess the current status of parasitism/anti-parasitism in a host-parasite system, which is also helpful to infer its coevolutionary history. The barn swallow Hirundo rustica is a tractable bird species to understand potential fine-tuned adaptations to avian brood parasitism across small geographic scales, both in the context of variation in its foreign-egg rejection pattern, and its widespread distribution in cuckoo-free urban areas and in cuckoo-present rural habitats, including reedbeds. Here we tested whether variation in co-occurrence between the host and its rare brood parasite, the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus (i.e., high level of co-occurrence in reed habitats, low in town habitats) at the metapopulation level predicts patterns of antiparasitic egg rejection behaviors in barn swallows in response to different types of model and natural eggs. Contrary to our predictions, higher parasite detectability in the reed habitat did not translate into higher parasitism rate and, in turn, we also found similarly low egg rejection rates across both sampled habitat types. These patterns implied a lack of fine-tuned increase of egg rejection rate in the reed-breeding population of barn swallows as a response to the increased perceived cuckoo encounter rate, perhaps because higher potential parasitism threat did not transfer into greater actual parasitism rate. It remains to be assessed whether the lack of small-scale geographic variation in barn swallows' egg rejection rates persists because this species responds to selection by parasitism as a spatially contiguous evolutionary unit.
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16
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Not too big, not too small: raids at moderately sized hosts lead to optimal outcomes for a slave-making ant. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2797-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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17
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Nest defense and egg recognition in the grey-backed thrush (Turdus hortulorum): defense against interspecific or conspecific brood parasitism? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2759-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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18
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When are egg-rejection cues perceived? A test using thermochromic eggs in an avian brood parasite host. Anim Cogn 2019; 22:1141-1148. [PMID: 31515648 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01306-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
At the core of recognition systems research are questions regarding how and when fitness-relevant decisions made. Studying egg-rejection behavior by hosts to reduce the costs of avian brood parasitism has become a productive model to assess cognitive algorithms underlying fitness-relevant decisions. Most of these studies focus on how cues and contexts affect hosts' behavioral responses to foreign eggs; however, the timing of when the cues are perceived for egg-rejection decisions is less understood. Here, we focused the responses of American robins Turdus migratorius to model eggs painted with a thermochromic paint. This technique modified an egg's color with predictably varying temperatures across incubation: at the onset of incubation, the thermochromic model egg was cold and perceptually similar to a static blue model egg (mimicking the robin's own blue-green egg color), but by the end of an incubation bout, it was warm and similar to a static beige egg (mimicking the ground color of the egg of the robin's brood parasite, the brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater). Thermochromic eggs were rejected at statistically intermediate rates between those of the static blue (mostly accepted) and static beige (mostly rejected) model eggs. This implies that at the population level, egg-rejection relevant cues are not perceived solely when arriving to or solely when departing from the nest. We also found that robins rejected their own eggs more often when exposed to color-changing model eggs relative to static eggs, suggesting that recognizing variable foreign eggs entails costly rejection errors for this host species.
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19
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Abolins-Abols M, Hanley D, Moskát C, Grim T, Hauber ME. Anti-parasitic egg rejection by great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) tracks differences along an eggshell color gradient. Behav Processes 2019; 166:103902. [PMID: 31283976 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
One of the most effective defenses against avian brood parasitism is the rejection of the foreign egg from the host's nest. Until recently, most studies have tested whether hosts discriminate between own and foreign eggs based on the absolute differences in avian-perceivable eggshell coloration and maculation. However, recent studies suggest that hosts may instead contrast egg appearances across a directional eggshell color gradient. We assessed which discrimination rule best explained egg rejection by great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus, a frequent host to an egg-mimetic race of common cuckoos Cuculus canorus. We deployed 3D-printed model eggs varying in blue-green to brown coloration and in the presence of maculation. Using visual modeling, we calculated the absolute chromatic and achromatic just-noticeable differences (JNDs), as well as directional JNDs across a blue-green to brown egg color gradient, between host and model eggs. While most model eggs were rejected by great reed warblers, browner eggs were rejected with higher probability than more blue-green eggs, and the rejection probability did not depend on maculation. Directional egg color discrimination shown here and in a suite of recent studies on other host species may shape the cognitive decision rules that hosts use to recognize foreign eggs and affect the course of evolution in parasitic egg mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikus Abolins-Abols
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA.
| | - Daniel Hanley
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Long Island University - Post, USA
| | - Csaba Moskát
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group: a joint research group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Eötvös Loránd University, and the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tomáš Grim
- Na Orátě 497, 78361, Hlubočky, Czech Republic
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
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20
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Hanley D, Gern K, Hauber ME, Grim T. Host Responses to Foreign Eggs across the Avian Visual Color Space. Am Nat 2019; 194:17-27. [DOI: 10.1086/703534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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21
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Molina-Morales M, Precioso M, Avilés JM, Martínez JG, Parejo D. Great spotted cuckoos disregard information on conspecific breeding success while parasitizing magpie hosts. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Molina-Morales
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología. Universidad de Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas S/N, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Marta Precioso
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Avenida de Fuente Nueva S/N, Granada, Spain
| | - Jesús M Avilés
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, EEZA (CSIC), Ctra de Sacramento S/N, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
| | - Juan G Martínez
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Avenida de Fuente Nueva S/N, Granada, Spain
| | - Deseada Parejo
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología. Universidad de Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas S/N, Badajoz, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, EEZA (CSIC), Ctra de Sacramento S/N, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
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22
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23
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Yang CC, Wang LW, Liang W, Møller A. High egg rejection rate in a Chinese population of grey-backed thrush ( Turdus hortulorum). Zool Res 2019; 40:226-230. [PMID: 31011133 PMCID: PMC6591160 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2019.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
everal previous studies have indicated that nest sanitation behavior is a general adaptation in altricial birds, with egg recognition capacity evolving as a specific response to interspecific brood parasitism (IBP). However, a recent study suggested an alternative hypothesis, concluding that conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) selects for egg rejection in thrushes, with IBP as a by-product. In the present study, we used a spectrophotometer to quantify egg coloration and egg mimicry and performed artificial parasitism experiments in the grey-backed thrush (Turdus hortulorum). We showed that individuals of this species rejected 100% of 12 foreign eggs, without IBP or CBP detected. In a review of previous studies, we also discuss possible explanations for the high egg rejection rate in the grey-backed thrush and suggest areas for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can-Chao Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou Hainan 571158, China
| | - Long-Wu Wang
- State Forestry Administration of China Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Conservation in Mountainous Areas of Southwest Karst, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang Guizhou 550001, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou Hainan 571158, China
| | - Anders Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France 3. Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France
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24
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Egg-recognition abilities in non-incubating males: implications for the evolution of anti-parasitic host defenses. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2631-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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25
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26
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Ruiz-Raya F, Soler M, Abaurrea T, Chastel O, Roncalli G, Ibáñez-Álamo JD. Hormonal responses to non-mimetic eggs: is brood parasitism a physiological stressor during incubation? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2565-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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27
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Canniff L, Dainson M, López AV, Hauber ME, Grim T, Samaš P, Hanley D. Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 30199015 DOI: 10.3791/57512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Brood parasites lay their eggs in other females' nests, leaving the host parents to hatch and rear their young. Studying how brood parasites manipulate hosts into raising their young and how hosts detect parasitism provide important insights in the field of coevolutionary biology. Brood parasites, such as cuckoos and cowbirds, gain an evolutionary advantage because they do not have to pay the costs of rearing their own young. However, these costs select for host defenses against all developmental stages of parasites, including eggs, their young, and adults. Egg rejection experiments are the most common method used to study host defenses. During these experiments, a researcher places an experimental egg in a host nest and monitors how hosts respond. Color is often manipulated, and the expectation is that the likelihood of egg discrimination and the degree of dissimilarity between the host and experimental egg are positively related. This paper serves as a guide for conducting egg rejection experiments from describing methods for creating consistent egg colors to analyzing the findings of such experiments. Special attention is given to a new method involving uniquely colored eggs along color gradients that has the potential to explore color biases in host recognition. Without standardization, it is not possible to compare findings between studies in a meaningful way; a standard protocol within this field will allow for increasingly accurate and comparable results for further experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Miri Dainson
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois
| | - Analía V López
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois
| | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University
| | - Peter Samaš
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
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28
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Stokke BG, Ratikainen II, Moksnes A, Røskaft E, Schulze-Hagen K, Leech DI, Møller AP, Fossøy F. Characteristics determining host suitability for a generalist parasite. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6285. [PMID: 29674671 PMCID: PMC5908913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24627-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Host quality is critical for parasites. The common cuckoo Cuculus canorus is a generalist avian brood parasite, but individual females show strong preference for a specific host species. Here, we use three extensive datasets to investigate different host characteristics determining cuckoo host selection at the species level: (i) 1871 population-specific parasitism rates collected across Europe; (ii) 14 K cases of parasitism in the United Kingdom; and (iii) 16 K cases of parasitism in Germany, with data collected during the period 1735-2013. We find highly consistent effects of the different host species traits across our three datasets: the cuckoo prefers passerine host species of intermediate size that breed in grass- or shrubland and that feed their nestlings with insects, and avoids species that nest in cavities. Based on these results, we construct a novel host suitability index for all passerine species breeding in Europe, and show that host species known to have a corresponding cuckoo host race (gens) rank among the most suitable hosts in Europe. The distribution of our suitability index shows that host species cannot be classified as suitable or not but rather range within a continuum of suitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bård G Stokke
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway.
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Irja I Ratikainen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Arne Moksnes
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Eivin Røskaft
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - David I Leech
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, Cedex, France
| | - Frode Fossøy
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
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29
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Hanley D, Grim T, Igic B, Samaš P, López AV, Shawkey MD, Hauber ME. Egg discrimination along a gradient of natural variation in eggshell coloration. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2592. [PMID: 28179521 PMCID: PMC5310612 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate recognition of salient cues is critical for adaptive responses, but the underlying sensory and cognitive processes are often poorly understood. For example, hosts of avian brood parasites have long been assumed to reject foreign eggs from their nests based on the total degree of dissimilarity in colour to their own eggs, regardless of the foreign eggs' colours. We tested hosts' responses to gradients of natural (blue-green to brown) and artificial (green to purple) egg colours, and demonstrate that hosts base rejection decisions on both the direction and degree of colour dissimilarity along the natural, but not artificial, gradient of egg colours. Hosts rejected brown eggs and accepted blue-green eggs along the natural egg colour gradient, irrespective of the total perceived dissimilarity from their own egg's colour. By contrast, their responses did not vary along the artificial colour gradient. Our results demonstrate that egg recognition is specifically tuned to the natural gradient of avian eggshell colour and suggest a novel decision rule. These results highlight the importance of considering sensory reception and decision rules when studying perception, and illustrate that our understanding of recognition processes benefits from examining natural variation in phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hanley
- Department of Biology, Long Island University - Post, Brookville, NY 11548-1300, USA
| | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, Olomouc 77146, Czech Republic
| | - Branislav Igic
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA.,Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Peter Samaš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, Olomouc 77146, Czech Republic
| | - Analía V López
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA.,Department of Biology, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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30
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Trnka A, Samaš P, Grim T. Consistent individual and sex-specific differences in behaviour of common cuckoo chicks: is there a potential impact on host-parasite coevolutionary dynamics? BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Research on brood parasitism has focused primarily on specific host anti-parasite behaviours and parasite counter-adaptations, and little is known about other aspects of their behaviours such as consistent behavioural differences between individuals. Therefore, we examined consistency in behaviour of nestlings of common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) raised by great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Cuckoo chicks showed high repeatability of both aggressive behaviour and breath rate, and both traits were strongly correlated with each other. This represents the first evidence for consistent differences in behaviour among avian brood parasites. Males were consistently more aggressive and less stressed than females. Nestlings of both sexes that hatched later in the season exhibited higher levels of aggression and lower stress responses than nestlings hatched earlier. This suggests that rearing conditions (e.g., food availability and quality) may modulate stress and aggressive phenotypes of brood parasites. We discuss potential effects of the observed patterns on host-parasite dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfréd Trnka
- aDepartment of Biology, University of Trnava, Priemyselná 4, 918 43, Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Samaš
- bInstitute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Grim
- cDepartment of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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31
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Expósito-Granados M, Parejo D, Martínez JG, Precioso M, Molina-Morales M, Avilés JM. Host nest site choice depends on risk of cuckoo parasitism in magpie hosts. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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32
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Dainson M, Hauber ME, López AV, Grim T, Hanley D. Does contrast between eggshell ground and spot coloration affect egg rejection? Naturwissenschaften 2017. [PMID: 28642972 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1476-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Obligate avian brood parasitic species impose the costs of incubating foreign eggs and raising young upon their unrelated hosts. The most common host defence is the rejection of parasitic eggs from the nest. Both egg colours and spot patterns influence egg rejection decisions in many host species, yet no studies have explicitly examined the role of variation in spot coloration. We studied the American robin Turdus migratorius, a blue-green unspotted egg-laying host of the brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater, a brood parasite that lays non-mimetic spotted eggs. We examined host responses to model eggs with variable spot coloration against a constant robin-mimetic ground colour to identify patterns of rejection associated with perceived contrast between spot and ground colours. By using avian visual modelling, we found that robins were more likely to reject eggs whose spots had greater chromatic (hue) but not achromatic (brightness) contrast. Therefore, egg rejection decision rules in the American robin may depend on the colour contrast between parasite eggshell spot and host ground coloration. Our study also suggests that egg recognition in relation to spot coloration, like ground colour recognition, is tuned to the natural variation of avian eggshell spot colours but not to unnatural spot colours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miri Dainson
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Analía V López
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 77146, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Hanley
- Department of Biology, Long Island University - Post, Brookville, New York, NY, 11548, USA
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33
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Yu J, Xing X, Jiang Y, Liang W, Wang H, Møller AP. Alarm call-based discrimination between common cuckoo and Eurasian sparrowhawk in a Chinese population of great tits. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiangping Yu
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics; School of Life Sciences; Northeast Normal University; Changchun China
| | - Xiaoying Xing
- College of Wildlife Resource; Northeast Forestry University; Harbin China
| | - Yunlei Jiang
- College of Animal Science and Technology; Jilin Agricultural University; Changchun China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology; College of Life Sciences; Hainan Normal University; Haikou China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics; School of Life Sciences; Northeast Normal University; Changchun China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology; School of Life Sciences; Northeast Normal University; Changchun China
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution; CNRS; Université Paris-Sud, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay; Orsay France
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Relationships between egg-recognition and egg-ejection in a grasp-ejector species. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0166283. [PMID: 28170402 PMCID: PMC5295713 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Brood parasitism frequently leads to a total loss of host fitness, which selects for the evolution of defensive traits in host species. Experimental studies have demonstrated that recognition and rejection of the parasite egg is the most common and efficient defence used by host species. Egg-recognition experiments have advanced our knowledge of the evolutionary and coevolutionary implications of egg recognition and rejection. However, our understanding of the proximate mechanisms underlying both processes remains poor. Egg rejection is a complex behavioural process consisting of three stages: egg recognition, the decision whether or not to reject the putative parasitic egg and the act of ejection itself. We have used the blackbird (Turdus merula) as a model species to explore the relationship between egg recognition and the act of egg ejection. We have manipulated the two main characteristics of parasitic eggs affecting egg ejection in this grasp-ejector species: the degree of colour mimicry (mimetic and non-mimetic, which mainly affects the egg-recognition stage of the egg-rejection process) and egg size (small, medium and large, which affects the decision to eject), while maintaining a control group of non-parasitized nests. The behaviour of the female when confronted with an experimental egg was filmed using a video camera. Our results show that egg touching is an indication of egg recognition and demonstrate that blackbirds recognized (i.e., touched) non-mimetic experimental eggs significantly more than mimetic eggs. However, twenty per cent of the experimental eggs were touched but not subsequently ejected, which confirms that egg recognition does not necessarily mean egg ejection and that accepting parasitic eggs, at least sometimes, is the consequence of acceptance decisions. Regarding proximate mechanisms, our results show that the delay in egg ejection is not only due to recognition problems as usually suggested, given that experimental eggs are not touched significantly more often. Thus, the delay in egg ejection is mainly the consequence of a delay in the decision to eject, probably triggered by mechanical constraints imposed by eggs that are harder to eject (i.e. larger). Our results offer important information on the relationships between recognition and ejection and contribute to a better understanding of host defences against brood parasites.
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Grim T. Host Defences Against Brood Parasite Nestlings: Theoretical Expectations and Empirical Evidence. AVIAN BROOD PARASITISM 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-73138-4_29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Samaš P, Rutila J, Grim T. The common redstart as a suitable model to study cuckoo-host coevolution in a unique ecological context. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:255. [PMID: 27887566 PMCID: PMC5124271 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0835-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Co-evolutionary arms-races result in spatio-temporally dynamic relationships between interacting species, e.g., brood parasites and their avian hosts. However, majority of avian co-evolutionary studies are limited to "snap-shots" of a single breeding season in an open-nesting host. In a long-term study (11 breeding seasons), we explored a unique system between the brood parasitic common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) and its host, the common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) which is exceptional among all cuckoo hosts due to being a cavity nester. Conditions in cavities are different from open nests, e.g., lower risks of predation, more favourable microclimate, increased risks of unsuccessful eviction of host offspring by the cuckoo nestling. Different conditions in cavities thus can be expected to shape parasite-host coevolution differently from what is typically studied in open nesting hosts. RESULTS In our highly parasitised nest-box population (32.5%, n = 569 nests) only 35.7% of cuckoo eggs were laid into the nest cup and incubated by redstarts. Host nests shifted availability to later into the breeding season from 2006 to 2016 and cuckoos followed this trend by also shifting their timing of parasitism. Although previous studies revealed that redstarts selectively eject experimental non-mimetic eggs (desertion was not a specific response to foreign eggs), the hosts never ejected naturally-laid cuckoo eggs or cuckoo eggs cross-fostered into naturally non-parasitised nests. We solve the long-standing debate about the origin of cuckoo eggs found on the nest rim: we gained the first direct video-recording evidence that eggs found on the nest rim were mislaid by parasites and not ejected by hosts. Naturally-parasitised nests were deserted more often (18.6%) than control non-parasitized nests (5.6%) or nests artificially parasitised by us (1.4%). This suggests that the sight of the laying cuckoo female is the primary cue that triggers egg rejection (by desertion) in this host. Review of data from this and other study sites (10 populations, n = 853 experiments) demonstrates high variability in rejection rates and shows that populations facing higher parasitism rates reject parasitic eggs with higher frequencies. Surprisingly, cuckoo chicks either growing solitarily or with redstart chicks did not differ in their fledging success. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that the redstart is an ideal model system to study the flexibility and limits of brood parasite-host co-evolution in an extreme ecological setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Samaš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 50, Olomouc, 77146, Czech Republic
| | | | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 50, Olomouc, 77146, Czech Republic.
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Igic B, Hauber ME, Moskát C, Grim T, Shawkey MD, Procházka P, Honza M. Brood parasite and host eggshells undergo similar levels of decalcification during embryonic development. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B. Igic
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program; University of Akron; Akron OH USA
- Research School of Biology; The Australian National University; Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - M. E. Hauber
- Department of Psychology; Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York; New York NY USA
| | - C. Moskát
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group; a joint research group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; the Biological Institute of the Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Natural History Museum; Budapest Hungary
| | - T. Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology; Palacký University; Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - M. D. Shawkey
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program; University of Akron; Akron OH USA
- Department of Biology; Terrestrial Ecology Unit; Ghent University; Ghent Belgium
| | - P. Procházka
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR; Brno Czech Republic
| | - M. Honza
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR; Brno Czech Republic
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Louder MIM, Schelsky WM, Albores AN, Hoover JP. A generalist brood parasite modifies use of a host in response to reproductive success. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2015.1615. [PMID: 26336180 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian obligate brood parasites, which rely solely on hosts to raise their young, should choose the highest quality hosts to maximize reproductive output. Brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) are extreme host generalists, yet female cowbirds could use information based on past reproductive outcomes to make egg-laying decisions thus minimizing fitness costs associated with parasitizing low-quality hosts. We use a long-term (21 years) nest-box study of a single host, the prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea), to show that local cowbird reproductive success, but not host reproductive success, was positively correlated with the probability of parasitism the following year. Experimental manipulations of cowbird success corroborated that female cowbirds make future decisions about which hosts to use based on information pertaining to past cowbird success, both within and between years. The within-year pattern, in particular, points to local cowbird females selecting hosts based on past reproductive outcomes. This, coupled with high site fidelity of female cowbirds between years, points to information use, rather than cowbird natal returns alone, increasing parasitism rates on highly productive sites between years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew I M Louder
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Wendy M Schelsky
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Amber N Albores
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Hoover
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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Li D, Zhang Z, Grim T, Liang W, Stokke BG. Explaining variation in brood parasitism rates between potential host species with similar habitat requirements. Evol Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-016-9850-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Hanley D, Šulc M, Brennan PLR, Hauber ME, Grim T, Honza M. Dynamic egg color mimicry. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:4192-202. [PMID: 27516874 PMCID: PMC4972242 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary hypotheses regarding the function of eggshell phenotypes, from solar protection through mimicry, have implicitly assumed that eggshell appearance remains static throughout the laying and incubation periods. However, recent research demonstrates that egg coloration changes over relatively short, biologically relevant timescales. Here, we provide the first evidence that such changes impact brood parasite–host eggshell color mimicry during the incubation stage. First, we use long‐term data to establish how rapidly the Acrocephalus arundinaceus Linnaeus (great reed warbler) responded to natural parasitic eggs laid by the Cuculus canorus Linnaeus (common cuckoo). Most hosts rejected parasitic eggs just prior to clutch completion, but the host response period extended well into incubation (~10 days after clutch completion). Using reflectance spectrometry and visual modeling, we demonstrate that eggshell coloration in the great reed warbler and its brood parasite, the common cuckoo, changes rapidly, and the extent of eggshell color mimicry shifts dynamically over the host response period. Specifically, 4 days after being laid, the host should notice achromatic color changes to both cuckoo and warbler eggs, while chromatic color changes would be noticeable after 8 days. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the perceived match between host and cuckoo eggshell color worsened over the incubation period. These findings have important implications for parasite–host coevolution dynamics, because host egg discrimination may be aided by disparate temporal color changes in host and parasite eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hanley
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology Palacký University 17. listopadu 50 Olomouc 771 46 Czech Republic
| | - Michal Šulc
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republicv. v. i., Květná 8603 65 Brno Czech Republic; Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University in Prague Viničná 7128 44 Prague 2 Czech Republic
| | - Patricia L R Brennan
- Department of Biological Sciences Mount Holyoke College South Hadley Massachusetts 01074 USA; Organismic & Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program University of Massachusetts, Amherst Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Psychology Hunter College and the Graduate Center The City University of New York 695 Park Avenue New York City New York 10065 USA
| | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology Palacký University 17. listopadu 50 Olomouc 771 46 Czech Republic
| | - Marcel Honza
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v. v. i., Květná 8 603 65 Brno Czech Republic
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Liang W, Møller AP, Stokke BG, Yang C, Kovařík P, Wang H, Yao CT, Ding P, Lu X, Moksnes A, Røskaft E, Grim T. Geographic variation in egg ejection rate by great tits across 2 continents. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Ruiz-Raya F, Soler M, Roncalli G, Abaurrea T, Ibáñez-Álamo JD. Egg rejection in blackbirds Turdus merula: a by-product of conspecific parasitism or successful resistance against interspecific brood parasites? Front Zool 2016; 13:16. [PMID: 27073406 PMCID: PMC4828832 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0148-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traditional theory assumes that egg recognition and rejection abilities arise as a response against interspecific brood parasitism (IBP). However, rejection also appears in some species that are currently not exploited by interspecific parasites, such as Turdus thrushes. Recent evidences suggest that rejection abilities evolved in these species as a response to conspecific brood parasitism (CBP). To test these two alternative hypotheses, we performed an experimental study by parasitizing nests of the common blackbird (Turdus merula) with conspecifics or heterospecific eggs under different risk of parasitism (presence of interspecific or conspecific parasites near the nest). Common blackbird is a potential host of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) but suffers low levels of CBP too. RESULTS We found that blackbirds were able to recognize and eject heterospecific eggs at high rates whereas most of conspecifics eggs were not recognized and, therefore, accepted. Ejection rates of conspecific eggs did not exceed 13 %, even in situations of high risk of CBP (blackbird female placed near the nest), which contradict the main prediction derived from the CBP hypothesis. Conversely, ejection rates of experimental eggs simulating IBP were much higher (80-100 %). Furthermore, female blackbirds were more aggressive towards cuckoos than towards blackbird dummies. CONCLUSIONS Our results considered together support the IBP hypothesis, indicating that recognition and rejection of parasitic eggs in blackbirds have probably evolved due to previous cuckoo parasitism. The current absence of IBP in blackbirds may be due to the highly efficient rejection abilities in this species. Thus, these abilities have been retained in absence of brood parasitism as a consequence of the low costs involved for blackbirds, resulting in a successful resistance against interspecific brood parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ruiz-Raya
- />Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Manuel Soler
- />Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Gianluca Roncalli
- />Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Teresa Abaurrea
- />Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo
- />Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
- />Behavioral and Physiological Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P. O. box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
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Molina-Morales M, Martínez JG, Avilés JM. Criteria for host selection in a brood parasite vary depending on parasitism rate. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Stokke BG, Røskaft E, Moksnes A, Møller AP, Antonov A, Fossøy F, Liang W, López-Iborra G, Moskát C, Shykoff JA, Soler M, Vikan JR, Yang C, Takasu F. Disappearance of eggs from nonparasitized nests of brood parasite hosts: the evolutionary equilibrium hypothesis revisited. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bård G. Stokke
- Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology; NO-7491; Trondheim Norway
| | - Eivin Røskaft
- Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology; NO-7491; Trondheim Norway
| | - Arne Moksnes
- Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology; NO-7491; Trondheim Norway
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution; CNRS; Univ. Paris-Sud; AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; 91400 Orsay France
| | - Anton Antonov
- Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology; NO-7491; Trondheim Norway
| | - Frode Fossøy
- Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology; NO-7491; Trondheim Norway
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology; College of Life Sciences; Hainan Normal University; Haikou 571158 China
| | - Germán López-Iborra
- Departamento de Ecología/IMEM Ramon Margalef; Universidad de Alicante; Apartado 99 E-03080 Alicante Spain
| | - Csaba Moskát
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; c/o Biological Institute; Eötvös Lóránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c; H-1117, Budapest Hungary and Hungarian Natural History Museum; Baross u. 13 Budapest H-1088 Hungary
| | - Jacqui A. Shykoff
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution; CNRS; Univ. Paris-Sud; AgroParisTech; Université Paris-Saclay; 91400 Orsay France
| | - Manuel Soler
- Grupo Coevolución; Departamento de Biología Animal; Unidad Asociada al CSIC; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Granada; Granada E-18071 Spain
| | - Johan R. Vikan
- Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology; NO-7491; Trondheim Norway
| | - Canchao Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology; College of Life Sciences; Hainan Normal University; Haikou 571158 China
| | - Fugo Takasu
- Department of Information and Computer Sciences; Nara Women's University; Kita-Uoya Nishimachi; Nara 630-8506 Japan
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Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) differentiate between common cuckoo and sparrowhawk in China: alarm calls convey information on threat. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2036-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Ruiz-Raya F, Soler M, Sánchez-Pérez LL, Ibáñez-Álamo JD. Could a Factor That Does Not Affect Egg Recognition Influence the Decision of Rejection? PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135624. [PMID: 26295481 PMCID: PMC4546668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rejection of the parasitic egg is the most important defence of hosts against brood parasites. However, this response is variable among and within species, and egg discrimination is not always followed by egg rejection. Low risk of parasitism and high risk of rejection costs may lead to the acceptance of the parasitic egg even if it has been previously recognized. The main aim of this paper is to answer a relevant question: can a single egg trait provoke the acceptance of an experimental egg previously recognized as foreign? Increased egg mass should hamper the ejection of an egg that has been discriminated because ejection of a heavy egg may imply higher rejection costs for hosts. We have tested this prediction by experimentally parasitizing natural nests of Common Blackbirds (Turdus merula) with non-mimetic model eggs of different mass (heavy, normal-weight, and light) while controlling for potential confounding factors such as egg size and colour. Our results showed that blackbirds more frequently accepted heavy eggs, even when previously recognized. This differential acceptance may be related to insufficient motivation to assume the higher costs that the ejection of a heavy egg could impose.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manuel Soler
- Dept. Zoology, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Grupo Coevolución, Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo
- Dept. Zoology, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Dept. Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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Trnka A, Trnka M, Grim T. Do rufous common cuckoo females indeed mimic a predator? An experimental test. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alfréd Trnka
- Department of Biology; University of Trnava; Priemyselná 4 SK-918 43 Trnava Slovakia
| | - Michal Trnka
- Department of Biology; University of Trnava; Priemyselná 4 SK-918 43 Trnava Slovakia
| | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology; Palacký University; 17. listopadu 50 77146 Olomouc Czech Republic
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Domínguez M, de la Colina MA, Di Giacomo AG, Reboreda JC, Mahler B. Host switching in cowbird brood parasites: how often does it occur? J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1290-7. [PMID: 25903962 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Avian obligate brood parasites lay their eggs in nests of host species, which provide all parental care. Brood parasites may be host specialists, if they use one or a few host species, or host generalists, if they parasitize many hosts. Within the latter, strains of host-specific females might coexist. Although females preferentially parasitize one host, they may occasionally successfully parasitize the nest of another species. These host switching events allow the colonization of new hosts and the expansion of brood parasites into new areas. In this study, we analyse host switching in two parasitic cowbirds, the specialist screaming cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris) and the generalist shiny cowbird (M. bonariensis), and compare the frequency of host switches between these species with different parasitism strategies. Contrary to expected, host switches did not occur more frequently in the generalist than in the specialist brood parasite. We also found that migration between hosts was asymmetrical in most cases and host switches towards one host were more recurrent than backwards, thus differing among hosts within the same species. This might depend on a combination of factors including the rate at which females lay eggs in nests of alternative hosts, fledging success of the chicks in this new host and their subsequent success in parasitizing it.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Domínguez
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, and IEGEBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M A de la Colina
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, and IEGEBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - A G Di Giacomo
- Departamento de Conservación, Aves Argentinas/Asociación Ornitológica del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - J C Reboreda
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, and IEGEBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - B Mahler
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, and IEGEBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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