Abstract
The large variation in colouration and patterning of bird eggs suggests a variety of functions. For instance, in cases of intra- and inter-specific brood parasitism, the recognition of own eggs by the parents could be essential for their reproductive success. However, individual specific signatures may also be of interest from an applied point of view, as it would be possible to monitor individual females across breeding seasons by identifying their eggs. This would be of particular importance for species that are difficult to catch and ring such as the Common Crane (Grus grus). Since 2004, nest monitoring of this species has been conducted by one of us (W.M.) in north-east Germany, which led to the development of a semi-quantitative method to identify female cranes by diagnostic egg features including ground colour and spots of eggshells. In order to verify this approach, we quantitatively determined the spot patterns on eggshells from eggs of 19 females identified by this method. We used standardised photographs of the eggs laid across three seasons and the computer program “Egg Shell Pattern ANAlysis” (ESPANA). The resulting data were statistically analysed by conducting principal coordinate analyses and analyses of similarity. To prove the identity of the putative females, we extracted DNA for microsatellite analyses from eggshell pieces collected after hatching from up to seven breeding seasons. Our analyses confirmed that Common Cranes lay eggs with individual specific patterns and confirmed the reliability of the semi-quantitative method of identification. Microsatellite genotypes based on nine loci were identical for all samples from each particular, putative female. Therefore, the semi-quantitative approach of identifying females based on their clutches is indeed an innovative monitoring tool that will make many species accessible for addressing important issues in population biology, ecology and conservation.
Zusammenfassung
Genetischer Nachweis für individuelle Eierschalenfärbung von Kranichweibchen ( Grus grus )
Die Vielfalt in der Färbung und Zeichnung von Vogeleiern legt eine Reihe an möglichen Funktionen nahe. So könnte im Fall von intra- oder interspezifischem Brutparasitismus das Erkennen der eigenen Eier eine wichtige Rolle für den Fortpflanzungserfolg der Eltern spielen. Individuell spezifische Signaturen könnten zu dem von Interesse sein, wenn dadurch ein Monitoring von Weibchen währende der Brutzeit ermöglicht würde. Dies wäre von besonderer Bedeutung für die Arten, die nur schwer individuell unterschieden oder markiert werden können, wie beispielsweise den Grauen Kranich (Grus grus). Ein in Norddeutschland laufendes Brutmonitoring führte 2004 zur Entwicklung einer semi-quantitativen Methode, die die Identifizierung von Kranichweibchen anhand von Eiermerkmalen, wie der Eischalengrundfarbe und der Fleckenzeichung ermöglichte. Zur Verifizierung der Methode wurde die Eischalenmusterung von 19 durch sie individuell identifizierten Kranichweibchen quantitativ bestimmt. Grundlage waren standardisierte Fotografien von Eiern aus drei Brutperioden, die mit dem Computerprogramm „Egg Shell Pattern ANAlysis” (ESPANA) analysiert wurden. Die gewonnenen Daten wurden mittels einer Hauptkoordinatenanalyse (PCoA) und einer Ähnlichkeitsanalyse (ANOSIM) statistisch ausgewertet. Um die Identität der angenommen Kranichweibchen zu beweisen, extrahierten wir aus Eierschalenstücken, die nach dem Schlupf der Küken über mehrere Brutperioden gesammelt wurden, DNA für Mikrosatellitenanalysen. Unsere Analysen bestätigten, dass Kranichweibchen Eier mit individuell spezifischen Mustern legen, und damit auch die semi-quantitative Identifizierungsmethode. Die mittels neun Loci bestimmten Genotypen waren für die angenommenen Kranichweibchen über alle Proben identisch. Somit ist die semi-quantitative Methode zur Identifizierung von Kranichweibchen anhand ihrer Gelege ein innovatives Werkzeug zum Monitoring, um auch andere Arten für Fragen der Populationsbiologie, der Ökologie und des Naturschutzes zugänglich zu machen.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to M. Luhn for his suggestions and constructive criticism to optimize the standard photographs of the eggs. We also thank M. Rauch for his technical and field support.
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Communicated by M. Wink.
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Höltje, H., Mewes, W., Haase, M. et al. Genetic evidence of female specific eggshell colouration in the Common Crane (Grus grus). J Ornithol 157, 609–617 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1311-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1311-5