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Visual mimicry of host nestlings by cuckoos
Naomi E Langmore1, Martin Stevens, Golo Maurer
1Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia. naomi.langmore@anu.edu
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|January 14, 2011
Summary
Brood-parasitic cuckoos, specifically bronze-cuckoos, visually mimic host chicks, challenging previous assumptions about coevolutionary mimicry. This study provides the first evidence of visual mimicry in cuckoo nestlings, driven by host defenses.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Behavioral ecology
- Ornithology
Background:
- Coevolution between antagonistic species drives mimicry, notably in brood-parasitic cuckoos' egg mimicry.
- Previously, cuckoo nestling mimicry of host young was not observed, with theoretical constraints limiting mimicry to the egg stage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if coevolutionary pressures have led bronze-cuckoo nestlings to visually mimic their host species' young.
- To provide the first empirical evidence for visual mimicry in cuckoo chicks.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of visual characteristics between bronze-cuckoo nestlings and their respective host nestlings.
- Assessment of mimicry from the perspective of the host species.
Main Results:
- Nestlings of three bronze-cuckoo species exhibit striking visual mimicry of their host species' young.
- Bronze-cuckoos show closer resemblance to their own hosts than to other host species.
- The accuracy of mimicry is influenced by the diversity of hosts exploited by the cuckoo species.
Conclusions:
- Coevolutionary processes can indeed select for visual mimicry in cuckoo nestlings, extending beyond egg mimicry.
- This finding challenges previous theoretical limitations and highlights the adaptive significance of chick mimicry in brood parasitism.
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