A shared chemical basis of avian host-parasite egg colour mimicry

Branislav Igic, Phillip Cassey, Tomáš Grim, David R. Greenwood, Csaba Moskát, Jarkko Rutila, Mark E. Hauber

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    66 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Avian brood parasites lay their eggs in other birds' nests and impose considerable fitness costs on their hosts. Historically and scientifically, the best studied example of circum-enting host defences is the mimicry of host eggshell colour by the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Yet the chemical basis of eggshell colour similarity, which impacts hosts' tolerance towards parasitic eggs, remains unknown. We tested the alternati-e scenarios that (i) cuckoos replicate host egg pigment chemistry, or (ii) cuckoos use alternatie mechanisms to produce a similar perceptual effect to mimic host egg appearance. In parallel with patterns of similarity in avian-perceived colour mimicry, the concentrations of the two key eggshell pigments, bilierdin and protoporphyrin, were most similar between the cuckoo host-races and their respective hosts. Thus, the chemical basis of avian host-parasite egg colour mimicry is eolutionarily consered, but also intraspecifically flexible. These analyses of pigment composition reveal a noel proximate dimension of coeolutionary interactions between avian brood parasites and hosts, and imply that alternatie phenotypes may arise by the modifications of already existing biochemical and physiological mechanisms and pathways.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1068-1076
    Number of pages9
    JournalProceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
    Volume279
    Issue number1731
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2012

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