What's bugging brood parasites?

نویسندگان

  • Clayton
  • Johnson
چکیده

Brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) might reduce populations of the songbird species they parasitize, including endangered species. Data are therefore needed on the frequency with which cowbirds use different species of foster parents. Hahn et al. propose a clever new approach by which the identity of foster parents can be inferred from host-specific lice the cowbirds acquire as nestlings. We discuss the feasibility of this method and underlying assumptions.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Response of host species to brood parasitism in dung beetles: importance of nest location by parasitic species

1. Brood parasitism is an interaction that negatively affects reproductive success of host species, some of which have evolved defences to reduce offspring mortality caused by the parasites. In this study, we analyse the responses to interspecific brood parasitism of a dung beetle species, Onthophagus merdarius , in which reproductive success is heavily affected by parasitic beetles. 2. We used...

متن کامل

Brood parasitism: a good strategy in our changing world?

The original life-history strategy of brood-parasitic birds has been the focus of a large number of studies in ecology and evolution. Whether species adopting such a strategy differ in their response to global changes remains, however, unknown. Both the absence of investment in parental care and the capacity to spread nesting failure by laying eggs in several nests might help brood parasites in...

متن کامل

S51.2: Brood parasites: The advantages of being a different species

Avian brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other species (hosts) which incubate and rear the brood-parasite offspring. This reproductive strategy directly reduces the cost of reproduction (e.g. parental care) and, therefore, may be subject to natural selection. I discuss three additional advantages arising from the fact that host and parasite are different species and that, therefore,...

متن کامل

Begging and cowbirds: brood parasites make hosts scream louder

Avian brood parasites have evolved striking begging ability that often allows them to prevail over the host progeny in competition for parental resources. Host young are therefore selected by brood parasites to evolve behavioral strategies that reduce the cost of parasitism. We tested the prediction that the intensity of nestling begging displays functioning to attract parental care increases a...

متن کامل

Mode of development and interspecific avian brood parasitism

Avian interspecific brood parasites differ considerably in their commitment to parasitism; 87 species are obligate brood parasites, whereas 35 species are known to be facultative brood parasites. This variation is strongly related to mode of development. Obligate parasitism is found almost exclusively in altricial species, whereas facultative interspecific parasitism is predominant in precocial...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • Trends in ecology & evolution

دوره 16 1  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2001