The Adaptiveness of Defence Strategies Against Cuckoo Parasitism

Planquè, Robert; Britton, N. F.; Franks, Nigel R.; Peletier, Mark A.

doi:10.1006/bulm.2002.0311

Cited by 31 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The above presented scenario may also prove fruitful for theoretical models of host-parasite coevolution (e.g. Planqué et al 2002;Britton et al in press).…”

Section: Results (A)mentioning

confidence: 94%

Experimental evidence for chick discrimination without recognition in a brood parasite host

Grim

2006

Proc. R. Soc. B.

101

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Recognition is considered a critical basis for discriminatory behaviours in animals. Theoretically, recognition and discrimination of parasitic chicks are not predicted to evolve in hosts of brood parasitic birds that evict nest-mates. Yet, an earlier study showed that host reed warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) of an evicting parasite, the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), can avoid the costs of prolonged care for unrelated young by deserting the cuckoo chick before it fledges. Desertion was not based on specific recognition of the parasite because hosts accept any chick cross-fostered into their nests. Thus, the mechanism of this adaptive host response remains enigmatic. Here, I show experimentally that the cue triggering this 'discrimination without recognition' behaviour is the duration of parental care. Neither the intensity of brood care nor the presence of a single-chick in the nest could explain desertions. Hosts responded similarly to foreign chicks, whether heterospecific or experimental conspecifics. The proposed mechanism of discrimination strikingly differs from those found in other parasite-host systems because hosts do not need an internal recognition template of the parasite's appearance to effectively discriminate. Thus, host defences against parasitic chicks may be based upon mechanisms qualitatively different from those operating against parasitic eggs. I also demonstrate that this discriminatory mechanism is non-costly in terms of recognition errors. Comparative data strongly suggest that parasites cannot counter-evolve any adaptation to mitigate effects of this host defence. These findings have crucial implications for the process and end-result of host-parasite arms races and our understanding of the cognitive basis of discriminatory mechanisms in general.

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“…The above presented scenario may also prove fruitful for theoretical models of host-parasite coevolution (e.g. Planqué et al 2002;Britton et al in press).…”

Section: Results (A)mentioning

confidence: 94%

Experimental evidence for chick discrimination without recognition in a brood parasite host

Grim

2006

Proc. R. Soc. B.

101

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“…Takasu and his co-workers (Takasu et al, 1993;Takasu, 1998) were the first to include both ecological and evolutionary aspects of the problem. Planqué et al (2002) modified these models to include chick rejection as well as egg rejection, and made some progress towards understanding why chick rejection is not observed in the common cuckoo and reed warbler system. Their model neglected sexual reproduction, instead assuming that the number of offspring of each defensive type was proportional to the fitness of that type, and we shall do the same.…”

Section: Previous Models For Rejection By Brood Parasitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Henceforth, we shall assume that the system does not exhibit a Naimark-Sacker bifurcation (often referred to as a Hopf bifurcation for difference equations) for relevant parameter values, so that oscillatory solutions do not occur. NaimarkSacker bifurcations were considered in Planqué et al (2002).…”

Section: Coexistence Of the Parasite With A Single-host Typementioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of Defence Portfolios in Exploiter–Victim Systems

2007

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Some organisms maintain a battery of defensive strategies against their exploiters (predators, parasites or parasitoids), while others fail to employ a defence that seems obvious. In this paper, we shall investigate the circumstances under which defence strategies might be expected to evolve. Brood parasites and their hosts provide our main motivation, and we shall discuss why the reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus has evolved an egg-rejection but not a chick-rejection strategy as a defence against the common (Eurasian) cuckoo Cuculus canorus, while the superb fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus has evolved a chick-rejection but not an egg-rejection strategy as a defence against Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis. We suggest that the answers lie in strategy-blocking, where one strategy (the blocking strategy) prevents the appearance of another (the blocked strategy) that would be adaptive in its absence. This may be common in exploitervictim systems.

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“…In Figure 1, the interior solution is stable 615 whenever it exists. This is not true for the parameters chosen for In his influential work, Endler (1991) suggested that it may be more attractive for prey 625 to interrupt the predation sequence as early as possible (see also Planque et al (2002) 626 who argue the same relating to successive defences against brood parasitism). He 627 argues this for a number of reasons.…”

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confidence: 99%