Brood Parasitism in Birds: A Coevolutionary Point of View

Soler, Manuel

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73138-4_1

Cited by 35 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…Current information, however, is not enough to draw any conclusions, and climate is not the sole selective pressure acting on nest shape. For example, weavers, which have domed nests, are heavily parasitized by cuckoos in Africa and their domed nests have been suggested to decrease parasitism rates (Krüger and Davies, 2004;Medina et al, 2020).…”

Section: Nest Shapementioning

confidence: 99%

Climate as an Evolutionary Driver of Nest Morphology in Birds: A Review

2020

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Avian nests are critical for successful reproduction in birds. Nest microclimate can affect egg development, chick growth and fledgling success, suggesting that nest building behavior should be under strong selective pressure to nesting conditions. Given that the internal microclimate of the nest is critical for avian fitness, it is expected that nest morphology is shaped by the local environment. Here we review the relationship between nest morphology and climate across species’ distributions. We collate growing evidence that supports a link between environmental conditions and particular nest traits, within species and across species. We discuss the degree to which phenotypic plasticity in nesting behavior can contribute to observed variation in nest traits, the role of phylogenetic history in determining nest morphology, and which nest traits are likely to be influenced by climatic conditions. Finally, we identify gaps in our understanding of the evolution of nest morphology and suggest topics for future research. Overall, we argue that, and nests are part of the extended phenotype of a bird, they play a crucial role in their reproductive success, and may be an important factor in determining which species will be able to persist in the face of ongoing climate change.

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Section: Nest Shapementioning

confidence: 99%

Climate as an Evolutionary Driver of Nest Morphology in Birds: A Review

2020

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“…Hosts of avian brood parasites exhibit a wide range of egg-rejection abilities [ 6 , 7 ], which provides a tractable system for studying how birds recognize eggs from non-egg objects. By removing the parasitic egg(s), hosts forgo reproductive costs accrued when raising unrelated chick(s) in their brood [ 8 , 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The limits of egg recognition: testing acceptance thresholds of American robins in response to decreasingly egg-shaped objects in the nest

et al. 2021

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Some hosts of avian brood parasites reduce or eliminate the costs of parasitism by removing foreign eggs from the nest (rejecter hosts). In turn, even acceptor hosts typically remove most non-egg-shaped objects from the nest, including broken shells, fallen leaves and other detritus. In search for the evolutionary origins and sensory mechanisms of egg rejection, we assessed where the potential threshold between egg recognition and nest hygiene may lie when it comes to stimulus shape. Most previous studies applied comparisons of egg-sized objects with non-continuous variation in shape. Here, instead, we used two series of three-dimensional-printed objects, designed a priori to increasingly diverge from natural eggs along two axes (width or angularity) of shape variation. As predicted, we detected transitions from mostly acceptance to mostly rejection in the nests of American robins Turdus migratorius along each of the two axes. Our methods parallel previous innovations in egg-rejection studies through the use of continuous variation in egg coloration and maculation contrast, to better understand the sensory limits and thresholds of variation in egg recognition and rejection in diverse hosts of avian brood parasites.

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“…Obligate interspecific brood parasitism, in which parasitic parents rely completely on a host species for the care of their brood, is known in about 1% of all bird species (109 species, including the cuckoo) (Mann, 2017). Coevolutionary interactions between the parasite and host birds have been studied extensively, for example hosts have evolved various defences against brood parasitism, such as egg rejection, and parasites have evolved more sophisticated counter measures, such as egg mimicry (Soler, 2017). In comparison, in nonavian vertebrates, this behaviour is known only in the cuckoo catfish Synodontis multipunctatus Boulenger 1898 (Siluriformes, Mochokidae) endemic to Lake Tanganyika, East Africa (Sato, 1986; see below for ambiguity in species identification), which parasitizes cichlid fishes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…evolved various defences against brood parasitism, such as egg rejection, and parasites have evolved more sophisticated counter measures, such as egg mimicry (Soler, 2017). In comparison, in nonavian vertebrates, this behaviour is known only in the cuckoo catfish Synodontis multipunctatus Boulenger 1898 (Siluriformes, Mochokidae) endemic to Lake Tanganyika, East Africa (Sato, 1986; see below for ambiguity in species identification), which parasitizes cichlid fishes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Brood parasitism of an open‐water spawning cichlid by the cuckoo catfish

Takahashi

Koblmüller

2020

Journal of Fish Biology

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The cuckoo catfish Synodontis multipunctatus and S. grandiops are endemic to Lake Tanganyika and the only known nonavian vertebrates that exhibit obligate interspecific brood parasitism. Seven maternal mouth-brooding cichlid fish species are reported to be natural hosts of the parasitic catfish and share a common reproductive behaviour that the catfish exploits: cichlid females spawn eggs on the bottom, allowing the catfish female to place her eggs near the cichlid eggs, and the cichlid females collect the catfish eggs by mouth together with their own eggs. However, so far it has not been reported that the cuckoo catfish exploit different spawning behaviours. The genus Cyprichromis consists of five maternal mouth-brooding species endemic to Lake Tanganyika, most of which spawn and collect eggs in open water. This study reports that the cuckoo catfish also parasitizes the open-water spawning Cyprichromis coloratus, although it may not be a regular host.

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Brood Parasitism in Birds: A Coevolutionary Point of View

Cited by 35 publications

References 106 publications

Climate as an Evolutionary Driver of Nest Morphology in Birds: A Review

Climate as an Evolutionary Driver of Nest Morphology in Birds: A Review

The limits of egg recognition: testing acceptance thresholds of American robins in response to decreasingly egg-shaped objects in the nest

Brood parasitism of an open‐water spawning cichlid by the cuckoo catfish

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