Abstract
We present a model for the evolution of host selection by avian brood parasites from the ecological context of siblicidal brood reduction tactics. Our analysis concentrates on the fitness costs and benefits that permit the evolution of brood parasitism as an adaptive strategy from a state of obligate parental care already featuring siblicide. Limited resources delivered by provisioning parents may incite siblicidal behaviour in offspring, directed towards nestmates regardless of kinship. The extent of siblicidal behaviour (in frequency of occurrence and number of nestmates killed) can extend to the eradication of all nestmates, as has been observed in some raptors and in seabirds. For parents of siblicidal offspring, laying each egg parasitically may maximize offspring survival by eliminating competition between related but siblicidal nest mates. To permit the evolution of conspecific (intraspecific) brood parasitism, costs of siblicide by the offspring of parasitic parents must exceed costs paid by the parasitic parents when losing related conspecifics (host offspring) in a host nest. To permit the evolution of obligate interspecific brood parasitism, costs to fitness from siblicidal offspring or nest reduction of related hosts must exceed costs of heterospecific parental care. Understanding the kin structure between parasites and hosts in conspecific parasitism, and measuring the costs paid by parasitic young due to mismatched incubation, provisioning, and social behaviours by heterospecific foster parents, should provide novel insights into the opportunities and constraints of the evolution of avian brood parasitism.
Zusammenfassung
Liegt im Kainismus der Ursprung von Brutparasitismus bei Vögeln?
Aus dem ökologischen Kontext kainistischer Brutverkleinerungstaktiken heraus stellen wir hier ein Modell für die Evolution der Wirtswahl durch brutparasitäre Vögel vor. Der Fokus unserer Analyse liegt hierbei auf Kosten und Nutzen für die Fitness, welche die Evolution von Brutparasitismus als adaptive Strategie erlauben, ausgehend von einem Zustand obligater elterlicher Brutpflege, bei dem Kainismus (Geschwistertötung) bereits vorkommt. Begrenzte Ressourcen, die von den fütternden Eltern herangeschafft werden, können beim Nachwuchs kainistisches Verhalten auslösen, das sich gegen die Nestgenossen richtet, unabhängig vom Verwandtschaftsgrad. Das Ausmaß des kainistischen Verhaltens (definiert durch Häufigkeit des Auftretens und die Anzahl getöteter Nestgenossen) kann bis zur Auslöschung aller Nestgenossen reichen, wie bei manchen Greifen und Seevögeln beobachtet wurde. Für die Eltern kainistischer Nachkommen kann die parasitische Ablage jeden Eies die Überlebensrate des Nachwuchses maximieren, indem Konkurrenz zwischen verwandten, aber kainistischen Nestgeschwistern ausgeschlossen wird. Um die Evolution konspezifischen (intraspezifischen) Brutparasitismus zu ermöglichen, müssen die Kosten des Kainismus durch die Nachkommen parasitischer Eltern höher sein als die Kosten, welche die parasitischen Eltern zu tragen haben, wenn sie verwandte Artgenossen (Wirtsnachkommen) in einem Wirtsnest verlieren. Um die Evolution obligaten interspezifischen Brutparasitismus zu ermöglichen, müssen die Kosten für die Fitness durch kainistische Nachkommen oder die Gelegeverkleinerung durch verwandte Wirtsvögel die Kosten heterospezifischer elterlicher Brutpflege übersteigen. Das Verständnis der Verwandtschaftsstruktur zwischen Parasit und Wirt bei konspezifischem Parasitismus und die Ermittlung der Kosten, die parasitierende Jungvögel aufgrund fehlangepasster Bebrütung, Versorgung und sozialer Verhaltensweisen heterospezifischer Pflegeltern zu tragen haben, sollten neue Einsichten in die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen bei der Evolution von Brutparasitismus bei Vögeln erlauben.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for discussions with many colleagues, and the support of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (issued to A.G. Fulmer: #2012143588), as well as Human Frontier Science Program (RGY0083/2012) and National Science Foundation (IOS–1456524) grants (issued to M.E. Hauber).
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Communicated by C. G. Guglielmo.
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Fulmer, A.G., Hauber, M.E. A siblicidal origin for avian brood parasitism?. J Ornithol 157, 219–227 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1270-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1270-x