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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2025

Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients

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Published on: August 22, 2018

Coevolution with hosts underpins speciation in brood-parasitic cuckoos.

N E Langmore¹, A Grealy^1,2, H-J Noh¹

¹Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|May 30, 2024

Summary

Coevolution drives speciation in brood-parasitic cuckoos. Host rejection selects for mimicry, causing genetic divergence and increasing biodiversity through evolutionary diversification.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Speciation research
Biodiversity science

Background:

Coevolution is theorized to increase biodiversity, but links between microevolution and macroevolutionary patterns are limited.
Brood parasitism presents a unique system for studying coevolutionary dynamics and speciation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of coevolution in the speciation of brood-parasitic cuckoos.
To connect microevolutionary processes with macroevolutionary outcomes in cuckoo-host interactions.

Main Methods:

Utilized two decades of behavioral research on cuckoo-host interactions.
Employed historical DNA analysis to trace evolutionary lineages.
Analyzed speciation rates and patterns in relation to parasite virulence and host exploitation.

Main Results:

Coevolution with hosts is a key driver of speciation in bronze-cuckoos.
Highly virulent brood parasites exhibit higher speciation rates and increased sympatric speciation compared to less-virulent relatives.
Host rejection of nestlings selects for mimicry, leading to genetic and phenotypic divergence in brood parasites exploiting multiple hosts.

Conclusions:

Microevolutionary mimicry driven by host-parasite interactions fuels macroevolutionary diversification.
This study elucidates a common yet under-characterized evolutionary process driving biological diversification.
Understanding coevolutionary dynamics is crucial for comprehending biodiversity patterns.