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Related Experiment Videos

Adoption as an offspring strategy to reduce ectoparasite exposure.

Pierre Bize1, Alexandre Roulin, Heinz Richner

  • 1Institute of Zoology, Division of Evolutionary Ecology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland. pierre.bize@esh.unibe.ch

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|September 4, 2003
PubMed
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Parasites can drive adoption in colonial species. Young birds infested with ectoparasites sought adoption more often, and their parasite load decreased after being adopted by a new family.

Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Adoption is common in colonial species due to high costs of parasitism and opportunities for young to find foster families.
  • Ectoparasites are often aggregated among colony members, suggesting a potential role in social dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that adoption is driven by selection on young to reduce ectoparasite load.
  • To investigate if nest-based ectoparasites influence offspring adoption behavior.
  • To determine if adoption reduces an individual's parasite load.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental infestation of Alpine swift (Apus melba) offspring with ectoparasitic louse-flies.
  • Comparison of adoption seeking behavior between infested and uninfested young.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Measurement of parasite load before and after adoption.

    • Main Results:

    • Experimentally infested Alpine swift young sought adoption significantly more often and at an earlier stage than uninfested young.
    • The parasite load of adopted, infested young was reduced.
    • Redistribution of ectoparasites among foster family members occurred after adoption.

    Conclusions:

    • Parasites play a novel role in the evolution of adoption in colonial species.
    • Adoption can be an adaptive strategy for young to mitigate ectoparasite burdens.
    • Parasite-mediated selection may contribute to the emergence of social interactions.