scholarly journals Social learning of a brood parasite by its host

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 20130443 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Feeney ◽  
Naomi E. Langmore
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Arms Races ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Transmission Of Information ◽  
Malurus Cyaneus

Arms races between brood parasites and their hosts provide model systems for studying the evolutionary repercussions of species interactions. However, how naive hosts identify brood parasites as enemies remains poorly understood, despite its ecological and evolutionary significance. Here, we investigate whether young, cuckoo-naive superb fairy-wrens, Malurus cyaneus , can learn to recognize cuckoos as a threat through social transmission of information. Naive individuals were initially unresponsive to a cuckoo specimen, but after observing conspecifics mob a cuckoo, they made more whining and mobbing alarm calls, and spent more time physically mobbing the cuckoo. This is the first direct evidence that naive hosts can learn to identify brood parasites as enemies via social learning.

scholarly journals The ghosts of parasitism past: lingering frontline anti-brood parasite defences in a former host

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew H J Chaumont ◽  
Naomi E Langmore ◽  
Justin A Welbergen
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Arms Race ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Reed Warbler ◽  
Arms Races ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Defensive Behaviors

Abstract Coevolutionary arms races between brood parasites and hosts provide tractable systems for understanding antagonistic coevolution in nature; however, little is known about the fate of frontline antiparasite defences when the host ‘wins’ the coevolutionary arms race. By recreating bygone species-interactions, using artificial parasitism experiments, lingering defensive behaviors that evolved in the context of parasitism can be understood and may even be used to identify the unknown agent of parasitism past. Here we present the first study of this type by evaluating lingering “frontline” nest defences that have evolved to prevent egg laying in a former brood parasite host. The Australian reed warbler Acrocephalus australis, is currently not parasitized but is known to exhibit fine-tuned egg discrimination—a defensive behavior indicative of a past brood parasite-host arms race and common in closely related parasitized species. Here, using 3 D-printed models of adult brood parasites, we examined whether the Australian reed warbler also exhibits frontline defences to adult brood parasites, and whether we could use these defences to identify the warbler’s “ghost of parasitism past”. Our findings provide evidence that the Australian reed warbler readily engages in frontline defences that are considered adaptive specifically in the context of brood parasitism. However, individuals were unable to discriminate between adults of different brood parasite species at their nest. Overall, our results demonstrate that despite a relaxation in selection, defences against brood parasitism can be maintained across multiple stages of the host’s nesting cycle, and further suggest that, in accordance with previous findings, that learning may be important for fine-tuning frontline defence.

scholarly journals Mobbing and sitting tight at the nest as methods of avoiding brood parasitism

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean A. Rands
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Arms Race ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Social Signals ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Individual Based Simulation ◽  
Mobbing Behaviour

The arms race between brood parasites and their hosts has led to many different host behaviours for avoiding parasitism. Some of these behaviours are social, and require the presence of conspecifics to work effectively: in response to alarm calls, some species engage in mobbing behaviour where neighbours join nest tenants in attacking and repelling an invading brood parasite. There are risks involved for the neighbours, but it has been demonstrated that social mobbing allows individuals to learn about the presence of brood parasites in the environment, suggesting that social learning is occurring. Here, I consider whether using social signals to alert naive individuals to the presence of brood parasites is a suitable strategy, compared with sitting tight on the nest in response to the signal (which should reduce the chances of being parasitized). I also compare the efficiency of these strategies with the case where individuals fail to change behaviour in response a brood parasite. Using an individual-based simulation model, I demonstrate that both mobbing and sitting tight are effective strategies in response to a signal, and that mobbing is more effective when the chances of being parasitized increase. These results are discussed and compared with known host–brood parasite relationships.

scholarly journals Host Recognition of Brood Parasites: Implications for Methodology in Studies of Enemy Recognition

The Auk ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 530-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Grim
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Columba Livia ◽  
Host Recognition ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Accurate Picture ◽  
Rock Pigeon ◽  
The Common ◽  
Enemy Recognition

AbstractVarious studies have shown that experiments on nest defense and enemy recognition (e.g. recognition of adult brood parasites) can be confounded by many factors. However, no study has described a confounding effect of control dummy type. Here, I show experimentally that the choice of control dummy may influence the results of an experiment and lead to erroneous conclusions. I tested recognition abilities of the Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), currently a host rarely used by the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Blackcaps responded very differently to two kinds of control dummies: they ignored the Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) dummy, but attacked the Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) dummy as frequently as they attacked the Common Cuckoo. The differing results may be explained by the fact that the Rock Pigeon is more similar to the Common Cuckoo than the Eurasian Blackbird is, and consequently elicited more aggressive behavior than the latter. Thus, absence of discrimination in enemy-recognition studies may reflect a methodological artifact resulting from varying abilities of particular hosts to discriminate along a continuum of recognition cues. This result has serious methodological implications for further research on enemy recognition and aggression in general: a control dummy should not be too similar to the dummy brood parasite; otherwise, the chance of detecting existing recognition abilities is low. Further, I argue that coevolution only increases pre-existing aggression in the particular host species. Therefore, increment analysis (assessing changes in host antiparasitic responses during the nesting cycle while controlling for background aggression to control dummies) provides a more accurate picture of hosts' recognition abilities than the traditional approach (when the total level of antiparasitic response is analyzed).

scholarly journals Brood parasitism in eusocial insects (Hymenoptera): role of host geographical range size and phylogeny

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1769) ◽  
pp. 20180203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jukka Suhonen ◽  
Jaakko J. Ilvonen ◽  
Tommi Nyman ◽  
Jouni Sorvari
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Geographical Range ◽  
Social Parasite ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Social Parasites ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Eusocial Insects ◽  
Interspecific Brood Parasitism ◽  
Logistic Regressions

Interspecific brood parasitism is common in many animal systems. Brood parasites enter the nests of other species and divert host resources for producing their own offspring, which can lead to strong antagonistic parasite–host coevolution. Here, we look at commonalities among social insect species that are victims of brood parasites, and use phylogenetic data and information on geographical range size to predict which species are most probably to fall victims to brood parasites in the future. In our analyses, we focus on three eusocial hymenopteran groups and their brood parasites: (i) bumblebees, (ii) Myrmica ants, and (iii) vespine and polistine wasps. In these groups, some, but not all, species are parasitized by obligate workerless inquilines that only produce reproductive-caste descendants. We find phylogenetic signals for geographical range size and the presence of parasites in bumblebees, but not in ants and wasps. Phylogenetic logistic regressions indicate that the probability of being attacked by one or more brood parasite species increases with the size of the geographical range in bumblebees, but the effect is statistically only marginally significant in ants. However, non-phylogenetic logistic regressions suggest that bumblebee species with the largest geographical range sizes may have a lower likelihood of harbouring social parasites than do hosts with medium-sized ranges. Our results provide new insights into the ecology and evolution of host–social parasite systems, and indicate that host phylogeny and geographical range size can be used to predict threats posed by social parasites, as well to design efficient conservation measures for both hosts and their parasites. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The coevolutionary biology of brood parasitism: from mechanism to pattern’.

scholarly journals Parasitic cuckoo catfish exploit parental responses to stray offspring

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1769) ◽  
pp. 20180412 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Polačik ◽  
M. Reichard ◽  
C. Smith ◽  
R. Blažek
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Lake Tanganyika ◽  
Buccal Cavity ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Parental Response ◽  
Interspecific Brood Parasitism ◽  
Late Developmental Stage ◽  
Parental Responses

Interspecific brood parasitism occurs in several independent lineages of birds and social insects, putatively evolving from intraspecific brood parasitism. The cuckoo catfish, Synodontis multipunctatus , the only known obligatory non-avian brood parasite, exploits mouthbrooding cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganyika, despite the absence of parental care in its evolutionary lineage (family Mochokidae). Cuckoo catfish participate in host spawning events, with their eggs subsequently collected and brooded by parental cichlids, though they can later be selectively rejected by the host. One scenario for the origin of brood parasitism in cuckoo catfish is through predation of cichlid eggs during spawning, eventually resulting in a spatial and temporal match in oviposition by host and parasite. Here we demonstrate experimentally that, uniquely among all known brood parasites, cuckoo catfish have the capacity to re-infect their hosts at a late developmental stage following egg rejection. We show that cuckoo catfish offspring can survive outside the host buccal cavity and re-infect parental hosts at a later incubation phase by exploiting the strong parental instinct of hosts to collect stray offspring. This finding implies an alternative evolutionary origin for cuckoo catfish brood parasitism, with the parental response of host cichlids facilitating its evolution. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The coevolutionary biology of brood parasitism: from mechanism to pattern’.

scholarly journals Cuckoos, cowbirds and hosts: adaptations, trade-offs and constraints

2006 ◽  
Vol 362 (1486) ◽  
pp. 1873-1886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Krüger
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Host System ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Evolution Of Life

The interactions between brood parasitic birds and their host species provide one of the best model systems for coevolution. Despite being intensively studied, the parasite–host system provides ample opportunities to test new predictions from both coevolutionary theory as well as life-history theory in general. I identify four main areas that might be especially fruitful: cuckoo female gentes as alternative reproductive strategies, non-random and nonlinear risks of brood parasitism for host individuals, host parental quality and targeted brood parasitism, and differences and similarities between predation risk and parasitism risk. Rather than being a rare and intriguing system to study coevolutionary processes, I believe that avian brood parasites and their hosts are much more important as extreme cases in the evolution of life-history strategies. They provide unique examples of trade-offs and situations where constraints are either completely removed or particularly severe.

scholarly journals Social transmission of egg rejection in a cuckoo host

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Canchao Yang ◽  
William E Feeney
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Social Information ◽  
Social Cues ◽  
Egg Rejection ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
The Social ◽  
Rapid Dissemination ◽  
Barn Swallows

AbstractSocial learning can enable the rapid dissemination of behaviors throughout a population. Rejection of foreign eggs is a key defense in hosts of avian brood parasites; however, whether social cues can inform whether a host rejects an egg remains unknown. Here, we aimed to determine whether access to social information can influence egg rejection behavior in semi-colonial barn swallows (Hirundo rustica). By manipulating the social information available from a neighboring nest, we found that swallows that had access to social information (i.e. neighbor recently rejected an egg) were more likely to reject a foreign egg compared to those that did not have access to social information (i.e. neighbor did not reject an egg). This result provides the first empirical evidence that egg rejection behavior can solely be informed by social information, and in doing so highlights the dynamic nature of defenses that hosts can deploy against brood parasitism.

scholarly journals STUDY OF INSTRUCTIONAL MODELS AND SYNTAX AS AN EFFORT FOR DEVELOPING ‘OIDDE’ INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atok Miftachul Hudha ◽  
Mohamad Amin ◽  
Sutiman Bambang ◽  
Sa'dun Akbar
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Character Education ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Ethical Behavior ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Model Learning ◽  
Problem Solving Skills

The 21st century requires the availability of human resources with seven skills or competence (Maftuh, 2016), namely: 1) critical thinking and problem solving skills, 2) creative and innovative, 3) behave ethically, 4) flexible and quick to adapt, 5) competence in ICT and literacy, 6) interpersonal and collaborative capabilities, 7) social skills and cross-cultural interaction. One of the competence of human resources of the 21st century are behaving ethically should be established and developed through learning that includes the study of ethics because ethical behavior can not be created and owned as it is by human, but must proceed through solving problem, especially ethical dilemma solving on the ethical problems atau problematics of ethics.The fundamental problem, in order to ethical behavior competence can be achieved through learning, is the right model of learning is not found yet by teachers to implement the learning associated with ethical values as expected in character education (Hudha, et al, 2014a, 2014b, 2014c). Therefore, it needs a decent learning model (valid), practical and effective so that ethics learning, to establish a human resources behave ethically, can be met.Thus, it is necessary to study (to analyze) and modificate the steps of learning (syntax) existing learning model, in order to obtain the results of the development model of learning syntax. One model of learning that is feasible, practical, and effective question is the learning model on the analysis and modification of syntax model of social learning, syntax learning model systems behavior (Joyce and Weil, 1980, Joyce, et al, 2009) as well as syntax learning model Tri Prakoro (Akbar, 2013). The modified syntax generate learning model 'OIDDE' which is an acronym of orientation, identify, discussion, decision, and engage in behavior. Keywords: Ethics, OIDDE Learning Model, Model Behavior Learning System-consistent, Social Learning Model, Model Learning Triprakoro, Syntax

scholarly journals Differences in eggshell pigmentation pattern between Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus and Eurasian Coot Fulica atra eggs

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 176-180
Author(s):  
Valentin Adrian Kiss ◽  
Liviu Răzvan Pripon ◽  
Attila Marton
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Pigmentation Pattern ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fulica Atra ◽  
Eggshell Pigmentation ◽  
The Common ◽  
Discernible Difference

AbstractFacultative avian brood parasites increase their reproductive output by laying eggs in the nests of conspecifics or closely related species. The Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus is a well-known facultative brood parasite that nests in wetlands, which are utilised also by a wide range of waterfowl, including the Eurasian Coot Fulica atra. The two species breed in similar habitats and have a similar egg pigmentation pattern; thus, the Coot can be a suitable host of brood-parasitic Moorhen. To study whether there is any discernible difference between the spotting pattern of Coot and Moorhen eggs, we compared the density of different sized spots on eggs of the two species. Our results show that Coot eggs have a significantly higher density of small speckles then Moorhen eggs, while the latter species has eggs with more conspicuous larger spots. Therefore, Coots can possibly rely on these differences in eggshell pattern to recognize and eject the brood parasitic Moorhen eggs.

scholarly journals Under the radar: detection avoidance in brood parasitic bees

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1769) ◽  
pp. 20180196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica R. Litman
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Solitary Bees ◽  
General Context ◽  
Brood Parasite ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Evolutionary Transitions ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Specialized Form ◽  
Fierce Competition

Brood parasitism is a specialized form of parasitism in which the offspring of a parasite develops on the food provisions gathered by a host species for its own young. Obligate brood parasitic lineages have lost the ability to acquire provisions for their young and thus rely entirely on the location of an appropriate host to serve as a food-provider. Solitary bees provide some of the most fascinating examples of brood parasitism in animals. Most solitary bees build and provision their own nests. Some, however, usurp the nests of other species of bees. These brood parasites, or ‘cuckoo’ bees, deposit their eggs on the pollen provisions collected by a host bee for her own offspring. The provisions stored by the host bee are not sufficient to sustain the development of both the host's larva and that of the brood parasite and the parasite must kill the offspring of its host in order to obtain enough nourishment to complete its development. As a consequence, there is fierce competition between the host bee seeking to protect her nest from attack and the brood parasite seeking to avoid detection by the host in order to successfully deposit her eggs in an appropriate nest. In this paper, I review the behaviours that allow brood parasitic bees to escape detection by their hosts. Identifying these behaviours, and placing them within the general context of strategies employed by brood parasitic bees to parasitize the nests of their hosts, is key to understanding how brood parasitic lineages may have evolved from nest-building ancestors, decrypting the selective pressures that drive evolutionary transitions from one strategy to another and, more broadly, revealing how similar selective pressures in widely divergent lineages of animals have given rise to remarkably convergent behaviours. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The coevolutionary biology of brood parasitism: from mechanism to pattern’.

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