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McClelland SC, Attard MRG, Bowen J, Horrocks NPC, Jamie GA, Dixit T, Spottiswoode CN, Portugal SJ. Eggshell composition and surface properties of avian brood-parasitic species compared with non-parasitic species. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221023. [PMID: 37234505 PMCID: PMC10206472 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The eggs of avian obligate brood-parasitic species have multiple adaptations to deceive hosts and optimize development in host nests. While the structure and composition of the eggshell in all birds is essential for embryo growth and protection from external threats, parasitic eggs may face specific challenges such as high microbial loads, rapid laying and ejection by the host parents. We set out to assess whether eggshells of avian brood-parasitic species have either (i) specialized structural properties, to meet the demands of a brood-parasitic strategy or (ii) similar structural properties to eggs of their hosts, due to the similar nest environment. We measured the surface topography (roughness), wettability (how well surfaces repel water) and calcium content of eggshells of a phylogenetically and geographically diverse range of brood-parasitic species (representing four of the seven independent lineages of avian brood-parasitic species), their hosts and close relatives of the parasites. These components of the eggshell structure have been demonstrated previously to influence such factors as the risk of microbial infection and overall shell strength. Within a phylogenetically controlled framework, we found no overall significant differences in eggshell roughness, wettability and calcium content between (i) parasitic and non-parasitic species, or (ii) parasitic species and their hosts. Both the wettability and calcium content of the eggs from brood-parasitic species were not more similar to those of their hosts' eggs than expected by chance. By contrast, the mean surface roughness of the eggs of brood-parasitic species was more similar to that of their hosts' eggs than expected by chance, suggesting brood-parasitic species may have evolved to lay eggs that match the host nest environment for this trait. The lack of significant overall differences between parasitic and non-parasitic species, including hosts, in the traits we measured, suggests that phylogenetic signal, as well as general adaptations to the nest environment and for embryo development, outweigh any influence of a parasitic lifestyle on these eggshell properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C. McClelland
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Marie R. G. Attard
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
- School of Engineering and Innovation, Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - James Bowen
- School of Engineering and Innovation, Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Nicholas P. C. Horrocks
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Gabriel A. Jamie
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tanmay Dixit
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Claire N. Spottiswoode
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Steven J. Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
- The Natural History Museum, Tring, Herts HP23 6AP, UK
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Hoi H, Darolová A, Krištofík J, Poláček M, Majtán J, Zeman M, Okuliarová M, Turčoková L, Knauer F. Covariation between eggshell colouration and eggshell bacteria abundance and egg characteristics in blackbirds. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2019.1575910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Herbert Hoi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alžbeta Darolová
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ján Krištofík
- Department of Animal Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Miroslav Poláček
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Juraj Majtán
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michal Zeman
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Okuliarová
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lucia Turčoková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Felix Knauer
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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