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Avilés JM, Precioso M, Molina‐Morales M, Martínez JG. Early‐life environmental conditions influence parasitism at adulthood and life‐history of a cuckoo host. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Miguel Avilés
- Depto de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC Almería Spain
| | - Marta Precioso
- Depto de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de Granada Granada Spain
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Molina-Morales M, Gómez J, Liñán-Cembrano G, Precioso M, Martínez JG, Avilés JM. The Role of Intra-Clutch Variation of Magpie Clutches in Foreign Egg Rejection Depends on the Egg Trait Considered. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.702637] [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
The existence of a coevolutionary process between avian brood parasites and their hosts predicts a lower intra-clutch variation in egg appearance of host eggs among rejecters as this would favor egg discrimination of parasite eggs by hosts once parasitic egg mimicry had evolved. So far empirical tests of this prediction have ignored the fact that different aspects of host egg phenotypes may differ in the relative role of environmental vs. genetic determination, and hence that the role of intra-clutch variation in egg rejection within a population cannot be invariant. Here, we estimated whether the intra-clutch variation in several aspects of host eggshell features is consistently associated to rejection of parasitic foreign eggs across years in a magpie host population parasitized by great spotted cuckoos. We innovatively estimated spottiness by means of the fractal dimension of eggs, which considers the homogeneity of spot pattern complexity in eggshells. Our results show that low intra-clutch variation in the blue-green coloration at the middle area of the eggs associated with a high chance of rejection, but only in one of the 3 years we conducted the study. In addition, females that rejected foreign eggs presented more homogenous spot patterns in their clutches as estimated by their fractal dimension than females that accepted experimental eggs, independently of the year of study. Finally, intra-clutch variation in egg volume of host eggs was not associated to rejection. Analyses at the individual level revealed that the relative role of genetic vs. environmental factors that determine egg phenotype would be feature-specific in magpies, females having a characteristic spottiness, but not color or volume, pattern. Our work stresses the importance of considering a holistic approach including several aspects of variation in host egg phenotype (size, color, and homogeneity of spot pattern), as some aspects might be more susceptible to selection through egg rejection than others, presumably because they are less influenced by variation in the environmental conditions. Moreover, our study highlights the importance of replication in studies on the adaptive value of host traits in egg rejection.
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Medina I, Kilner RM, Langmore NE. From micro- to macroevolution: brood parasitism as a driver of phenotypic diversity in birds. Curr Zool 2020; 66:515-526. [PMID: 33293930 PMCID: PMC7705515 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question in biology is how diversity evolves and why some clades are more diverse than others. Phenotypic diversity has often been shown to result from morphological adaptation to different habitats. The role of behavioral interactions as a driver of broadscale phenotypic diversity has received comparatively less attention. Behavioral interactions, however, are a key agent of natural selection. Antagonistic behavioral interactions with predators or with parasites can have significant fitness consequences, and hence act as strong evolutionary forces on the phenotype of species, ultimately generating diversity between species of both victims and exploiters. Avian obligate brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other species, their hosts, and this behavioral interaction between hosts and parasites is often considered one of the best examples of coevolution in the natural world. In this review, we use the coevolution between brood parasites and their hosts to illustrate the potential of behavioral interactions to drive evolution of phenotypic diversity at different taxonomic scales. We provide a bridge between behavioral ecology and macroevolution by describing how this interaction has increased avian phenotypic diversity not only in the brood parasitic clades but also in their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliana Medina
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Rebecca M Kilner
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Naomi E Langmore
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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Martínez JG, Molina-Morales M, Precioso M, Avilés JM. Age-Related Brood Parasitism and Egg Rejection in Magpie Hosts. Am Nat 2020; 195:876-885. [PMID: 32364781 DOI: 10.1086/708155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
When the strength or nature of a host-parasite interaction changes over the host life cycle, the consequences of parasitism can depend on host population age structure. Avian brood parasites reduce hosts' breeding success, and host age may play a role in this interaction if younger hosts are more likely parasitized and/or less able to defend themselves. We analyzed whether the age of female magpie (Pica pica) hosts is associated with parasite attack or their ability to reject foreign eggs. We recorded parasitism and model egg rejection of known-age individuals over their lifetime and established whether the likelihood of parasitism or egg rejection changed with age or longevity. Parasitism probability did not change with female age, and there was a trend toward longer-lived females being less likely to be parasitized. However, model egg rejection probability increased with age for each individual female, and longer-lived females were more prone to reject model eggs. Most females in the population were young, and the majority of them accepted model eggs, suggesting that brood parasites exploiting younger host individuals are benefitting from a lower defense level of their hosts. Our results stress that the intensity of selection by brood parasites may be mediated by the age structure of host populations, a to-date neglected aspect in brood parasite-host research.
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Soler M, Pérez-Contreras T, Soler JJ. Great spotted cuckoos show dynamic patterns of host selection during the breeding season. The importance of laying stage and parasitism status of magpie nests. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Avian brood parasites depend entirely on their hosts to raise their nestlings until independence. Thus, parasite females should select suitable host nests for egg laying according to traits that enhance offspring survival. The availability of nests of certain characteristics influencing the survival of parasitic offspring is, however, temporally dynamic and, thus, patterns of host selection should be evaluated considering characteristics of available host nests the day of parasitism. This allows detecting possible seasonal changes and, therefore, a more realistic picture of host selection by brood parasites. In this paper, we adopt such a new approach and consider daily availability of magpie (Pica pica) host nests at different breeding stage that were or were not parasitized by the great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius). Theory predicts that cuckoos should select host nests at the laying stage. Accordingly, we detected that cuckoos preferred to parasitize magpie nests at the laying stage but, mainly, those that already harbored one or two cuckoo eggs, which may seem counterintuitive. We also showed that patterns of host selection by cuckoos varied during the breeding season, which implies that brood parasite–host interaction is dynamic depending on phenology. These patterns are hidden when not considering the temporally dynamic nature of the availability of host nests of characteristics of interest. We discuss the importance of such patterns and considering diary hosts nests availability for detecting them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Soler
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Unidad Asociada Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Tomás Pérez-Contreras
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Juan José Soler
- Unidad Asociada Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Almería, Spain
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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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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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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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Expósito-Granados M, Parejo D, Martínez JG, Sánchez-Tójar A, Precioso M, Molina-Morales M, Avilés JM. An experimental test of host's life history traits modulation in response to cuckoo parasitism risk. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179206. [PMID: 28658287 PMCID: PMC5489146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hosts can counteract parasites through defences based on resistance and/or tolerance. The mechanistic basis of tolerance, which involve defensive mechanisms minimizing parasite damage after a successful parasitic attack, remains poorly explored in the study of cuckoo-host interactions. Here, we experimentally explore the possibility that the risk of great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius parasitism may induce tolerance defences in magpie Pica pica hosts through plasticity in life-history traits. We predict that magpies exposed to auditory cues indicating high parasitism risk will more likely exhibit resistance and/or modify their life-history traits to minimize parasitism costs (i.e. tolerance) compared to magpies under low parasitism risk. We found that manipulating the perceived parasitism risk did not affect host resistance (i.e. rejection of parasitic eggs) nor host life-history traits. Unexpectedly, host’s egg volume increased over the season in nests exposed to auditory cues of control non-harmful hoopoes Upupa epops. Our results do not provide support for inducible defences (either based on resistance or tolerance) in response to risk of parasitism in magpie hosts. Even so, we encourage studying plastic expression of breeding strategies in response to risk of cuckoo parasitism to achieve a better understanding of the mechanistic basis of tolerance defences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Deseada Parejo
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, EEZA-CSIC, Almería, Spain
- Department of Zoology, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | | | - Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar
- Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Marta Precioso
- Department of Zoology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Jesús M. Avilés
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, EEZA-CSIC, Almería, Spain
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Baglione V, Bolopo D, Canestrari D, Martínez JG, Roldan M, Vila M, Soler M. Spatiotemporal variation of host use in a brood parasite: the role of the environment. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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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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Molina-Morales M, Martínez JG, Martín-Gálvez D, Dawson DA, Burke T, Avilés JM. Cuckoo hosts shift from accepting to rejecting parasitic eggs across their lifetime. Evolution 2014; 68:3020-9. [PMID: 24916150 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
One of the best-known outcomes of coevolution between species is the rejection of mimetic parasite eggs by avian hosts, which has evolved to reduce costly cuckoo parasitism. How this behavioral adaptation varies along the life of individual hosts remains poorly understood. Here, we identify for the first time, lifetime patterns of egg rejection in a parasitized long-lived bird, the magpie Pica pica and show that, during the years they were studied, some females accept, others reject, and some others modify their response to model eggs, in all cases switching from acceptance to rejection. Females tested in their first breeding attempt always accepted the model egg, even those individuals whose mothers were egg rejecters. A longitudinal analysis showed that the probability of egg rejection increased with the relative age of the female, but was not related to the risk of parasitism in the population. We conclude that ontogeny plays a fundamental role in the process leading to egg rejection in magpies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Molina-Morales
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, E-18071, Granada, Spain; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
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Avilés JM, Bootello EM, Molina-Morales M, Martínez JG. The multidimensionality of behavioural defences against brood parasites: evidence for a behavioural syndrome in magpies? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1739-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Avilés JM, Molina-Morales M, Martínez JG. Climatic effects and phenological mismatch in cuckoo-host interactions: a role for host phenotypic plasticity in laying date? OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús M. Avilés
- Depto de Ecología Morfológica y Funcional; Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, C.S.I.C.; Carretera de Sacramento s/n Cañada de San Urbano ES-04001 Almería Spain
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Soler JJ, Pérez-Contreras T, De Neve L, Macías-Sánchez E, Møller AP, Soler M. Recognizing odd smells and ejection of brood parasitic eggs. An experimental test in magpies of a novel defensive trait against brood parasitism. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1265-70. [PMID: 24725170 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
One of the most important defensive host traits against brood parasitism is the detection and ejection of parasitic eggs from their nests. Here, we explore the possible role of olfaction in this defensive behaviour. We performed egg-recognition tests in magpie Pica pica nests with model eggs resembling those of parasitic great spotted cuckoos Clamator glandarius. In one of the experiment, experimental model eggs were exposed to strong or moderate smell of tobacco smoke, whereas those of a third group (control) were cleaned with disinfecting wipes and kept in boxes containing odourless cotton. Results showed that model eggs with strong tobacco scent were more frequently ejected compared with control ones. In another experiment, models were smeared with scents from cloacal wash from magpies (control), cloacal wash or uropygial secretions from cuckoos, or human scents. This experiment resulted in a statistically significant effect of treatment in unparasitized magpie nests in which control model eggs handled by humans were more often rejected. These results provide the first evidence that hosts of brood parasites use their olfactory ability to detect and eject foreign eggs from their nests. These findings may have important consequences for handling procedures of experimental eggs used in egg-recognition tests, in addition to our understanding of interactions between brood parasites and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Soler
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas - CSIC, Almería, Spain; Grupo Coevolución, Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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Eavesdropping cuckoos: further insights on great spotted cuckoo preference by magpie nests and egg colour. Oecologia 2014; 175:105-15. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2901-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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