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Field J, Savill C, Foster WA. Brood Parasites That Care: Alternative Nesting Tactics in a Subsocial Wasp. Am Nat 2023; 202:655-666. [PMID: 37963121 DOI: 10.1086/726250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
AbstractHosts and brood parasites are a classic example of conflict. Parasites typically provide no offspring care after laying eggs, imposing costs on hosts. Female subsocial wasps (Ammophila pubescens) alternate between initiating their own nests and using an "intruder" tactic of replacing eggs in nests of unrelated conspecifics. Hosts can respond by substituting new eggs of their own, with up to eight reciprocal replacements. Remarkably, intruders usually provision offspring in host nests, often alongside hosts. We used field data to investigate why intruders provision and to understand the basis of interactions. We found that intruders could not increase their fitness payoffs by using the typical brood parasite tactic of not provisioning offspring. Intruders using the typical tactic would benefit when hosts provisioned in their stead, but their offspring would starve when hosts failed to provision. Although some hosts obtained positive payoffs when intruders mistakenly provisioned their offspring, on average utilizing a conspecific nest represents parasitism: hosts pay costs while intruders benefit. Hosts and intruders used the same tactic of egg replacement, but intruders more often laid the final egg. Selection should favor better discrimination of offspring, which could lead to repeated cycles of costly egg replacement.
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2
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Riehl C. Evolutionary origins of cooperative and communal breeding: Lessons from the crotophagine cuckoos. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Riehl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USA
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3
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Yang TR, Engler T, Lallensack JN, Samathi A, Makowska M, Schillinger B. Hatching Asynchrony in Oviraptorid Dinosaurs Sheds Light on Their Unique Nesting Biology. Integr Org Biol 2019; 1:obz030. [PMID: 33791544 PMCID: PMC7671163 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obz030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Dinosaur nesting biology has been an intriguing research topic, though dinosaur behaviors were relatively less illuminated because of the constraints of the fossil record. For instance, hatching asynchrony, where eggs in a single clutch hatch at different times, is unique to modern neoavian birds but was also suggested to be present in oviraptorid dinosaurs based on a possible partial clutch of four embryo-containing eggs from Mongolia. Unfortunately, unequivocal evidence for the origination of these eggs from a single clutch is lacking. Here we report a new, better preserved partial oviraptorid clutch with three embryo-containing eggs—a single egg (Egg I) and a pair (Egg II/III)—from the Late Cretaceous Nanxiong Group of Jiangxi Province, China. Geopetal features indicate that the pair of eggs was laid prior to the single egg. Neutron tomographic images in combination with osteological features indicate that the embryo of the single egg is less developed than those of the paired eggs. Eggshell histology suggests that the embryo-induced erosion in the paired eggs is markedly more pronounced than in the single egg, providing a new line of evidence for hatching asynchrony. The inferred hatching asynchrony in combination with previously surmised thermoregulatory incubation and communal nesting behaviors very likely suggests that oviraptorid dinosaurs presented a unique reproductive biology lacking modern analogs, which is contrary to the predominant view that their reproductive biology was intermediate between that of modern crocodiles and birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- T-R Yang
- Section of Paleontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany.,Division of Geology, National Museum of Natural Science, Guancian Road 1, 40453 Taichung, Taiwan
| | - T Engler
- Section of Paleontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - J N Lallensack
- Section of Paleontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - A Samathi
- Section of Paleontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany.,Biodiversity and Conservation Research Unit. Walai Rukhavej Botanical Research Institute, Mahasarakham University, 44150 Maha Sarakham, Thailand
| | - M Makowska
- Photons for Engineering and Manufacturing Group, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - B Schillinger
- Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Lichtenbergstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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4
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Wright CM, McEwen BL, Fisher DN, Lichtenstein JLL, Antoun A, Tibbetts EA, Pruitt JN. Egg discrimination is mediated by individual differences in queen olfactory responsiveness and boldness. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractNest parasites attempt to shift the cost of rearing young from themselves to others. Despite strong selection to avoid this exploitation, there is considerable variation among-individuals in susceptibility to nest parasites. We evaluated the effects of individual variation in boldness, aggressiveness, and olfactory responsiveness on egg discrimination in wasps: Polistes metricus, which founds nests as singleton individuals, and P. dominula, which founds nests in small coalitions. Aggressiveness and boldness were evaluated using individuals’ response to mechanical disturbance, and olfactory responsiveness was evaluated using individuals’ tendency to respond to a novel rewarding stimulus. Egg discrimination was evaluated by presenting each queen with a variety of foreign eggs: 1) unaltered eggs laid by the resident (negative control group), 2) eggs produced by the resident female that were removed and replaced (procedural control), 3) eggs of foreign conspecifics (conspecific egg), and 4) eggs of a heterospecific congener (heterospecific egg). Females of both species never rejected untampered eggs and rejected procedural controls in only 35% of cases. Both species were twice as likely (70% rejection rate) to reject eggs of foreign conspecifics or heterospecifics. In P. dominula, bolder individuals and those with low olfactory responsiveness were more likely to reject foreign eggs. In P. metricus, boldness was not associated with egg rejection, but individuals with heightened olfactory responsiveness were more likely to reject foreign eggs. Thus, there are contrasting associations between behavioral phenotypes and egg rejection across species. These results are discussed in light of differences in the colony founding behavior of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Wright
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Brendan L McEwen
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - David N Fisher
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - James L L Lichtenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California – Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Angelle Antoun
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Tibbetts
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Jonathan N Pruitt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California – Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
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5
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Parsons PJ, Grinsted L, Field J. Partner choice correlates with fine scale kin structuring in the paper wasp Polistes dominula. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221701. [PMID: 31465487 PMCID: PMC6715180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cooperation among kin is common in animal societies. Kin groups may form by individuals directly discriminating relatives based on kin recognition cues, or form passively through natal philopatry and limited dispersal. We describe the genetic landscape for a primitively eusocial wasp, Polistes dominula, and ask whether individuals choose cooperative partners that are nearby and/or that are genetic relatives. Firstly, we genotyped an entire sub-population of 1361 wasps and found genetic structuring on an extremely fine scale: the probability of finding genetic relatives decreases exponentially within just a few meters of an individual's nest. At the same time, however, we found a lack of genetic structuring between natural nest aggregations within the population. Secondly, in a separate dataset where ~2000 wasps were genotyped, we show that wasps forced experimentally to make a new nest choice tended to choose new nests near to their original nests, and that these nests tended to contain some full sisters. However, a significant fraction of wasps chose nests that did not contain sisters, despite sisters being present in nearby nests. Although we cannot rule out a role for direct kin recognition or natal nest-mate recognition, our data suggest that kin groups may form via a philopatric rule-of-thumb, whereby wasps simply select groups and nesting sites that are nearby. The result is that most subordinate helpers obtain indirect fitness benefits by breeding cooperatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul John Parsons
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX,QD, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Lena Grinsted
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy Field
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR, United Kingdom
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6
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Riehl C, Strong MJ. Stable social relationships between unrelated females increase individual fitness in a cooperative bird. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2018.0130. [PMID: 29643212 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Social animals often form long-lasting relationships with fellow group members, usually with close kin. In primates, strong social bonds have been associated with increased longevity, offspring survival and reproductive success. However, little is known about the fitness effects of social bonds between non-kin, especially outside of mammals. In this study, we use long-term field research on a cooperatively breeding bird, the greater ani (Crotophaga major), to ask whether adult females benefit by remaining in long-term associations with unrelated, co-breeding females. We find that females that have previously nested together synchronize their reproduction more rapidly than those nesting with unfamiliar partners, which leads to lower competition and higher fledging success. Importantly, although previous experience with a co-breeding female influenced reproductive synchrony, the degree of reproductive synchrony did not influence whether co-breeding females remained together in subsequent years, ruling out the alternate hypothesis that highly synchronized females are simply more likely to remain together. These results indicate that switching groups is costly to females, and that social familiarity improves reproductive coordination. Stable social relationships therefore have significant fitness consequences for cooperatively nesting female birds, suggesting that direct benefits alone may favour the evolution of associations between non-relatives and contribute to long-term group stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Riehl
- Princeton University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Meghan J Strong
- Princeton University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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7
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Social parasitism as an alternative reproductive tactic in a cooperatively breeding cuckoo. Nature 2019; 567:96-99. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-0981-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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8
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Strong MJ, Sherman BL, Riehl C. Home field advantage, not group size, predicts outcomes of intergroup conflicts in a social bird. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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9
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Kaiser SA, Martin TE, Oteyza JC, Armstad C, Fleischer RC. Direct fitness benefits and kinship of social foraging groups in an Old World tropical babbler. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sara A Kaiser
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Science Building, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW., Washington, DC, USA
| | - Thomas E Martin
- U. S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Natural Sciences Room 205, Missoula, USA, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Juan C Oteyza
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, MT, USA
| | - Connor Armstad
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, MT, USA
| | - Robert C Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Science Building, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW., Washington, DC, USA
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10
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Conspecific Brood Parasitism Among Birds: The Effects of Phylogeny, Mode of Reproduction and Geographic Distribution. AVIAN BROOD PARASITISM 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-73138-4_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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11
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Riehl C. Infanticide and within-clutch competition select for reproductive synchrony in a cooperative bird. Evolution 2016; 70:1760-9. [PMID: 27346386 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12993] [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] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction among members of social animal groups is often highly synchronized, but neither the selective advantages nor the proximate causes of synchrony are fully understood. Here I investigate the evolution of hatching synchrony in the Greater Ani (Crotophaga major), a communally nesting bird in which several unrelated females contribute eggs to a large, shared clutch. Hatching synchrony is variable, ranging from complete synchrony to moderate asynchrony, and is determined by the onset of incubation of the communal clutch. Data from a 10-year field study indicate that individual reproductive success is highest in synchronous groups, and that nestlings that hatch in the middle of the hatching sequence are most likely to survive. Nestling mortality is high in asynchronous clutches because early-hatching nestlings are more likely to be killed by adult group members, whereas late-hatching nestlings are more likely to starve due competition with their older nest-mates. Therefore, the timing of hatching appears to be under stabilizing selection from infanticide and resource competition acting in concert. These results provide empirical support for models predicting that synchrony may evolve as an adaptive counter-strategy to infanticide, and they highlight the importance of competition in shaping the timing of reproduction in social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Riehl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544.
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12
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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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13
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Sociable Weavers Increase Cooperative Nest Construction after Suffering Aggression. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150953. [PMID: 26982704 PMCID: PMC4794138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The major transitions in evolution rely on the formation of stable groups that are composed of previously independent units, and the stability of these groups requires both cooperation and reduced conflict. Conflict over group resources may be common, as suggested by work in both cichlids and humans that has investigated how societies resolve conflict regarding investment in group resources, i.e. public goods. We investigated whether sociable weavers (Philetairus socius) use aggressive behaviors to modulate the cooperative behavior of group mates. We find that the individuals that build the communal thatch of the nest, i.e. the individuals most at risk of exploitation, are the most aggressive individuals. We show that individuals that invest in interior chamber maintenance, possibly a more selfish behavior, suffer relatively more aggression. After suffering aggression individuals significantly increase cooperative construction of the communal nest thatch. We show that cooperative individuals target aggression towards selfish individuals, and the individuals suffering aggression perform cooperative behaviors subsequent to suffering aggression. In addition to other evolutionary mechanisms, these results suggest that aggression, possibly via the pay-to-stay mechanism, is possibly being used to maintain a public good.
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14
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Zink AG, Lyon BE. Evolution of Conspecific Brood Parasitism versus Cooperative Breeding as Alternative Reproductive Tactics. Am Nat 2016; 187:35-47. [DOI: 10.1086/684127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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15
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Riehl C, Strong MJ, Edwards SV. Inferential reasoning and egg rejection in a cooperatively breeding cuckoo. Anim Cogn 2014; 18:75-82. [PMID: 24993064 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-014-0778-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Revised: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Inferential reasoning-associating a visible consequence with an imagined event-has been demonstrated in several bird species in captivity, but few studies have tested wild birds in ecologically relevant contexts. Here, we investigate inferential reasoning by the greater ani, a cooperatively breeding cuckoo in which several females lay eggs in one nest. Prior to laying her first egg, each female removes any eggs that have already been laid by other females in the shared nest. After laying her first egg, however, each female stops removing eggs, presumably in order to avoid accidentally rejecting her own. But are anis using inferential reasoning to track the fate of their eggs in the communal nest, or is egg ejection governed by non-cognitive determinants? We experimentally removed eggs from two-female nests after both females had laid at least one egg and used video recording to verify that both females viewed the empty nest. We waited until one female (A) laid an egg in the nest, and video recorded the behavior of the female that had not yet re-laid (B). We predicted that if capable of inferential reasoning, female B should infer that the new egg could not be her own and she should remove it. Five out of five females tested failed to make this inference, suggesting that egg removal is either determined by the female's reproductive status or by the amount of time elapsed between egg removal and re-laying. This apparent cognitive constraint may have implications for the evolutionary stability of the anis' unusual breeding system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Riehl
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA,
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16
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Samas P, Hauber ME, Cassey P, Grim T. Host responses to interspecific brood parasitism: a by-product of adaptations to conspecific parasitism? Front Zool 2014; 11:34. [PMID: 24834103 PMCID: PMC4022367 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-11-34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Why have birds evolved the ability to reject eggs? Typically, foreign egg discrimination is interpreted as evidence that interspecific brood parasitism (IP) has selected for the host’s ability to recognize and eliminate foreign eggs. Fewer studies explore the alternative hypothesis that rejection of interspecific eggs is a by-product of host defenses, evolved against conspecific parasitism (CP). We performed a large scale study with replication across taxa (two congeneric Turdus thrushes), space (populations), time (breeding seasons), and treatments (three types of experimental eggs), using a consistent design of egg rejection experiments (n = 1057 nests; including controls), in areas with potential IP either present (Europe; native populations) or absent (New Zealand; introduced populations). These comparisons benefited from the known length of allopatry (one and a half centuries), with no gene flow between native and introduced populations, which is rarely available in host-parasite systems. Results Hosts rejected CP at unusually high rates for passerines (up to 60%). CP rejection rates were higher in populations with higher conspecific breeding densities and no risks of IP, supporting the CP hypothesis. IP rejection rates did not covary geographically with IP risk, contradicting the IP hypothesis. High egg rejection rates were maintained in the relatively long-term isolation from IP despite non-trivial rejection costs and errors. Conclusions These egg rejection patterns, combined with recent findings that these thrushes are currently unsuitable hosts of the obligate parasitic common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), are in agreement with the hypothesis that the rejection of IP is a by-product of fine-tuned egg discrimination evolved due to CP. Our study highlights the importance of considering both IP and CP simultaneously as potential drivers in the evolution of egg discrimination, and illustrates how populations introduced to novel ecological contexts can provide critical insights into brood parasite-host coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Samas
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, CZ-771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Phillip Cassey
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Tomas Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, CZ-771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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17
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Stevens M, Troscianko J, Spottiswoode CN. Repeated targeting of the same hosts by a brood parasite compromises host egg rejection. Nat Commun 2014; 4:2475. [PMID: 24064931 PMCID: PMC3791459 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cuckoo eggs famously mimic those of their foster parents to evade rejection from discriminating hosts. Here we test whether parasites benefit by repeatedly parasitizing the same host nest. This should make accurate rejection decisions harder, regardless of the mechanism that hosts use to identify foreign eggs. Here we find strong support for this prediction in the African tawny-flanked prinia (Prinia subflava), the most common host of the cuckoo finch (Anomalospiza imberbis). We show experimentally that hosts reject eggs that differ from an internal template, but crucially, as the proportion of foreign eggs increases, hosts are less likely to reject them and require greater differences in appearance to do so. Repeated parasitism by the same cuckoo finch female is common in host nests and likely to be an adaptation to increase the probability of host acceptance. Thus, repeated parasitism interacts with egg mimicry to exploit cognitive and sensory limitations in host defences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Stevens
- 1] Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK [2]
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18
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Abstract
Cooperatively breeding animals live in social groups in which some individuals help to raise the offspring of others, often at the expense of their own reproduction. Kin selection--when individuals increase their inclusive fitness by aiding genetic relatives--is a powerful explanation for the evolution of cooperative breeding, particularly because most groups consist of family members. However, recent molecular studies have revealed that many cooperative groups also contain unrelated immigrants, and the processes responsible for the formation and maintenance of non-kin coalitions are receiving increasing attention. Here, I provide the first systematic review of group structure for all 213 species of cooperatively breeding birds for which data are available. Although the majority of species (55%) nest in nuclear family groups, cooperative breeding by unrelated individuals is more common than previously recognized: 30% nest in mixed groups of relatives and non-relatives, and 15% nest primarily with non-relatives. Obligate cooperative breeders are far more likely to breed with non-kin than are facultative cooperators, indicating that when constraints on independent breeding are sufficiently severe, the direct benefits of group membership can substitute for potential kin-selected benefits. I review three patterns of dispersal that give rise to social groups with low genetic relatedness, and I discuss the selective pressures that favour the formation of such groups. Although kin selection has undoubtedly been crucial to the origin of most avian social systems, direct benefits have subsequently come to play a predominant role in some societies, allowing cooperation to persist despite low genetic relatedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Riehl
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, , Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, , Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Balboa, Colon, Panama
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19
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Hauber ME, Geltsch N, Moskát C, Zölei A. Asymmetrical signal content of egg shape as predictor of egg rejection by great reed warblers, hosts of the common cuckoo. BEHAVIOUR 2012. [DOI: 10.1163/156853912x638445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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20
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Cassey P, Hauber ME, Maurer G, Ewen JG. Sources of variation in reflectance spectrophotometric data: a quantitative analysis using avian eggshell colours. Methods Ecol Evol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2041-210x.2011.00152.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Igic B, Cassey P, Grim T, Greenwood DR, Moskát C, Rutila J, Hauber ME. A shared chemical basis of avian host-parasite egg colour mimicry. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:1068-76. [PMID: 21920975 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian brood parasites lay their eggs in other birds' nests and impose considerable fitness costs on their hosts. Historically and scientifically, the best studied example of circumventing host defences is the mimicry of host eggshell colour by the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Yet the chemical basis of eggshell colour similarity, which impacts hosts' tolerance towards parasitic eggs, remains unknown. We tested the alternative scenarios that (i) cuckoos replicate host egg pigment chemistry, or (ii) cuckoos use alternative mechanisms to produce a similar perceptual effect to mimic host egg appearance. In parallel with patterns of similarity in avian-perceived colour mimicry, the concentrations of the two key eggshell pigments, biliverdin and protoporphyrin, were most similar between the cuckoo host-races and their respective hosts. Thus, the chemical basis of avian host-parasite egg colour mimicry is evolutionarily conserved, but also intraspecifically flexible. These analyses of pigment composition reveal a novel proximate dimension of coevolutionary interactions between avian brood parasites and hosts, and imply that alternative phenotypes may arise by the modifications of already existing biochemical and physiological mechanisms and pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branislav Igic
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Soler M, Ruiz-Castellano C, Fernández-Pinos MDC, Rösler A, Ontanilla J, Pérez-Contreras T. House sparrows selectively eject parasitic conspecific eggs and incur very low rejection costs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1209-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Samaš P, Hauber ME, Cassey P, Grim T. Repeatability of Foreign Egg Rejection: Testing the Assumptions of Co-Evolutionary Theory. Ethology 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2011.01917.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Aktipis CA, Fernandez-Duque E. Parental investment without kin recognition: Simple conditional rules for parent-offspring behavior. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010; 65:1079-1091. [PMID: 21552348 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-1115-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Species differ widely with regard to parental investment strategies and mechanisms underlying those strategies. The passing of benefits to likely offspring can be instantiated with a number of different computational and behavioral systems. We report results from an agent-based model in which offspring maintain proximity with parents and parents transmit benefits to offspring without the capacity of either parent or offspring to 'recognize' one another. Instead, parents follow a simple rule to emit benefits after reproducing and offspring follow a simple rule of moving in the direction of positive benefit gradients. This model differs from previous models of spatial kin-based altruism in that individuals are modeled as having different behavioral rules at different life stages and benefits are transmitted unidirectionally from parents to offspring. High rates of correctly directed parental investment occur when mobility and sociality are low and parental investment occurs over a short period of time. We suggest that strategies based on recognition and bonding/attachment might serve to increase rates of correctly directed parental investment under parameters that are shown here to otherwise lead to high rates of misdirected and wasted parental investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Athena Aktipis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
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Riehl C. Living with strangers: direct benefits favour non-kin cooperation in a communally nesting bird. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 278:1728-35. [PMID: 21068046 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The greater ani (Crotophaga major), a Neotropical cuckoo, exhibits an unusual breeding system in which several socially monogamous pairs lay eggs in a single nest and contribute care to the communal clutch. Cooperative nesting is costly-females compete for reproduction by ejecting each other's eggs-but the potential direct or indirect fitness benefits that might accrue to group members have not been identified. In this study, I used molecular genotyping to quantify patterns of genetic relatedness and individual reproductive success within social groups in a single colour-banded population. Microsatellite analysis of 122 individuals in 49 groups revealed that group members are not genetic relatives. Group size was strongly correlated with individual reproductive success: solitary pairs were extremely rare and never successful, and nests attended by two pairs were significantly more likely to be depredated than were nests attended by three pairs. Egg loss, a consequence of reproductive competition, was greater in large groups and disproportionately affected females that initiated laying. However, early-laying females compensated for egg losses by laying larger clutches, and female group members switched positions in the laying order across nesting attempts. The greater ani, therefore, appears to be one of the few species in which cooperative breeding among unrelated individuals is favoured by direct, shared benefits that outweigh the substantial costs of reproductive competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Riehl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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