Abstract
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 67-69 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Biology Letters |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 29 Jul 2010 |
Fingerprint
Cite this
}
Evicting cuckoo nestlings from the nest : a new anti-parasitism behaviour. / Sato, Nozomu; Tokue, Kihoko; Noske, Richard; Mikami, Osamu K; Ueda, Keisuke.
In: Biology Letters, Vol. 6, No. 1, 29.07.2010, p. 67-69.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Evicting cuckoo nestlings from the nest
T2 - a new anti-parasitism behaviour
AU - Sato, Nozomu
AU - Tokue, Kihoko
AU - Noske, Richard
AU - Mikami, Osamu K
AU - Ueda, Keisuke
PY - 2010/7/29
Y1 - 2010/7/29
N2 - As avian brood parasitism usually reduces hosts' reproductive success, hosts often exhibit strong defence mechanisms. While such host defences at the egg stage (especially egg rejection) have been extensively studied, defence mechanisms at the nestling stage have been reported only recently. We found a previously unknown anti-parasitism behaviour in the large-billed Gerygone, which is a host species of the little bronze-cuckoo, a host-evicting brood parasite. The hosts forcibly pulled resisting nestlings out of their nests and dumped them. Although it has been suggested that defence mechanisms at the nestling stage may evolve when host defence at the egg stage is evaded by the parasite, the studied host seems to lack an anti-parasitism strategy at the egg stage. This suggests that the evolutionary pathway may be quite different from those of previously studied cuckoo-host systems. Future research on this unique system may give us new insights into the evolution of avian brood parasitism.
AB - As avian brood parasitism usually reduces hosts' reproductive success, hosts often exhibit strong defence mechanisms. While such host defences at the egg stage (especially egg rejection) have been extensively studied, defence mechanisms at the nestling stage have been reported only recently. We found a previously unknown anti-parasitism behaviour in the large-billed Gerygone, which is a host species of the little bronze-cuckoo, a host-evicting brood parasite. The hosts forcibly pulled resisting nestlings out of their nests and dumped them. Although it has been suggested that defence mechanisms at the nestling stage may evolve when host defence at the egg stage is evaded by the parasite, the studied host seems to lack an anti-parasitism strategy at the egg stage. This suggests that the evolutionary pathway may be quite different from those of previously studied cuckoo-host systems. Future research on this unique system may give us new insights into the evolution of avian brood parasitism.
KW - brood parasitism
KW - egg rejection
KW - host-parasite interaction
KW - nestling
KW - reproductive success
KW - songbird
KW - adaptation
KW - animal
KW - article
KW - Australia
KW - bird
KW - competitive behavior
KW - evolution
KW - nesting
KW - physiology
KW - species difference
KW - symbiosis
KW - videorecording
KW - Adaptation, Biological
KW - Animals
KW - Birds
KW - Competitive Behavior
KW - Evolution
KW - Nesting Behavior
KW - Northern Territory
KW - Species Specificity
KW - Symbiosis
KW - Video Recording
KW - Aves
KW - Gerygone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77449093782&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0540
DO - 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0540
M3 - Article
VL - 6
SP - 67
EP - 69
JO - Biology Letters
JF - Biology Letters
SN - 1744-9561
IS - 1
ER -