Comments on: Staying out of the arms race, or when evolution goes “meh” http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Dai Shizuka http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10693 Dai Shizuka Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:42:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10693 Thanks for covering this fascinating study on a topic near and dear to my heart. In Australia, the cuckoo-host arms race also shifts from eggs to nestlings. Several species of Aussie cuckoo hosts are now known to recognize and reject parasitic chicks. This has led to some chick mimicry. Interestingly, these species typically fail to recognize parasitic eggs. See Langmore et al. (2003-Nature), Langmore et al. (in press-PRSB: ), Tokue and Ueda (2011-Ibis ), Sato et al. (2010-Biol. Letters: Watch the supplemental video!). In a slightly different context (and continent), chick recognition also happens in a conspecific brood parasite: the American coot (Shizuka and Lyon 2010-Nature). These guys can recognize some parasitic eggs but also recognize parasitic chicks. Still so much to learn about how different pairs of brood parasites and hosts set off on different coevolutionary trajectories. Links http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v422/n6928/full/nature01460.html?free=2 http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/01/07/rspb.2010.2391.abstract http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/6/1/67.full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2010.01056.x/abstract http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v463/n7278/full/nature08655.html Thanks for covering this fascinating study on a topic near and dear to my heart.

In Australia, the cuckoo-host arms race also shifts from eggs to nestlings. Several species of Aussie cuckoo hosts are now known to recognize and reject parasitic chicks. This has led to some chick mimicry. Interestingly, these species typically fail to recognize parasitic eggs. See Langmore et al. (2003-Nature), Langmore et al. (in press-PRSB: ), Tokue and Ueda (2011-Ibis ), Sato et al. (2010-Biol. Letters: Watch the supplemental video!). In a slightly different context (and continent), chick recognition also happens in a conspecific brood parasite: the American coot (Shizuka and Lyon 2010-Nature). These guys can recognize some parasitic eggs but also recognize parasitic chicks.

Still so much to learn about how different pairs of brood parasites and hosts set off on different coevolutionary trajectories.

Links
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v422/n6928/full/nature01460.html?free=2
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/01/07/rspb.2010.2391.abstract
http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/6/1/67.full
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2010.01056.x/abstract
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v463/n7278/full/nature08655.html

]]> By: Daniel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10692 Daniel Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:34:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10692 Very cool story. I'm surprised neither the paper nor the story address another, straightforward possibility: Why doesn't the bulbul simply refuse to sit on the cuckoo's egg? That way, the odds of a cuckoo chick actually hatching are reduced. That alone should give the bulbul an evolutionary advantage, perhaps forcing the cuckoo to reduce its egg size. And voila, there it is again: the arms race. ;-)) Very cool story. I’m surprised neither the paper nor the story address another, straightforward possibility: Why doesn’t the bulbul simply refuse to sit on the cuckoo’s egg? That way, the odds of a cuckoo chick actually hatching are reduced. That alone should give the bulbul an evolutionary advantage, perhaps forcing the cuckoo to reduce its egg size. And voila, there it is again: the arms race. ;-) )

]]> By: Dendroica http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10691 Dendroica Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:09:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10691 Here in North America we have several nest-parasites; perhaps the most famous is the cowbird (see 11 above.) I've seen yellow warbler females eagerly feed cowbird young that were easily more than twice their size. Most of the time, yellow warblers are able to see through the ruse and simply abandon the nest, and build another one. Unlike the bulbul they can build another nest directly atop the "ruined" nest and have it filled with eggs in less than ten days. There have been reports of not only one abandoned nest, but two, with successful breeding able to take place immediately afterwards. One simple reason is these birds have time on their hands. In a normal season, all of the chicks are out of the nest and already feeding themselves by the first days of July. Adding two or even three weeks to this schedule isn't going to unduly effect them. They have time on their side. The other reason is, many North American birds travel thousands of miles to breed, and they may never have another chance to breed again. The yellow warbler is one of the few birds that are able to detect (most of the time) cowbird infestations. Many of the other victimized birds are now in grave danger of severe depopulation. There are at least a half-dozen warblers that this hazard, combined with deforestation are in trouble, and a few thrush species. Here in North America we have several nest-parasites; perhaps the most famous is the cowbird (see 11 above.)

I’ve seen yellow warbler females eagerly feed cowbird young that were easily more than twice their size. Most of the time, yellow warblers are able to see through the ruse and simply abandon the nest, and build another one. Unlike the bulbul they can build another nest directly atop the “ruined” nest and have it filled with eggs in less than ten days. There have been reports of not only one abandoned nest, but two, with successful breeding able to take place immediately afterwards.

One simple reason is these birds have time on their hands. In a normal season, all of the chicks are out of the nest and already feeding themselves by the first days of July. Adding two or even three weeks to this schedule isn’t going to unduly effect them. They have time on their side.

The other reason is, many North American birds travel thousands of miles to breed, and they may never have another chance to breed again.

The yellow warbler is one of the few birds that are able to detect (most of the time) cowbird infestations. Many of the other victimized birds are now in grave danger of severe depopulation. There are at least a half-dozen warblers that this hazard, combined with deforestation are in trouble, and a few thrush species.

]]> By: Amélie Gourdon http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10690 Amélie Gourdon Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:50:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10690 Alex Kacelnik (http://users.ox.ac.uk/~kgroup/people/alexkacelnik.shtml) came to give us a seminar last month where he demonstrated something pretty similar with cowbirds in Americas. One of his collaborator captured an amazing video where the parasited bird (let's say the warbler, but there are several species parasited by cowbirds and I am not entirely sure it was this precise one) defends its nest, pecking fiercely the cowbird. It was amazing to a human eye for two reasons: the cowbird maintained its tentative to lay its egg in the nest despiste the violence of the attack, and more importantly, while she was defending her nest from this particular cowbird, the warbler could not defend it from other cowbirds. At the end, three or four more eggs were in her nest, including the one of the cowbird she attacked. After this she did nothing to get rid of them. The key point is that cowbirds peck the warbler's eggs in addition to lay their own, so the more parasite eggs there are in your nest, the less chances that your eggs are pecked and destroyed. Alex Kacelnik (http://users.ox.ac.uk/~kgroup/people/alexkacelnik.shtml) came to give us a seminar last month where he demonstrated something pretty similar with cowbirds in Americas. One of his collaborator captured an amazing video where the parasited bird (let’s say the warbler, but there are several species parasited by cowbirds and I am not entirely sure it was this precise one) defends its nest, pecking fiercely the cowbird. It was amazing to a human eye for two reasons: the cowbird maintained its tentative to lay its egg in the nest despiste the violence of the attack, and more importantly, while she was defending her nest from this particular cowbird, the warbler could not defend it from other cowbirds. At the end, three or four more eggs were in her nest, including the one of the cowbird she attacked. After this she did nothing to get rid of them. The key point is that cowbirds peck the warbler’s eggs in addition to lay their own, so the more parasite eggs there are in your nest, the less chances that your eggs are pecked and destroyed.

]]> By: Nige http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10689 Nige Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:23:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10689 Great article Ed, consistently one of the best Zoology bloggers around. Great article Ed, consistently one of the best Zoology bloggers around.

]]> By: Brian Schmidt http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10688 Brian Schmidt Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:13:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10688 1. It could be there's an evolutionary lag, but it's just a really long one until the laggard evolves a new choice that gets it out of the modeled constraints. 2. Maybe the arms race is happening in the feeding/stimulation responses. Great post. Thanks! 1. It could be there’s an evolutionary lag, but it’s just a really long one until the laggard evolves a new choice that gets it out of the modeled constraints.

2. Maybe the arms race is happening in the feeding/stimulation responses.

Great post. Thanks!

]]> By: Ian http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10687 Ian Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:28:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10687 I don't think they're thinking the bird equivalent of "meh", but rather the bird equivalent of "we'll see how it goes". I don’t think they’re thinking the bird equivalent of “meh”, but rather the bird equivalent of “we’ll see how it goes”.

]]> By: Jon F http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10686 Jon F Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:34:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10686 So you're saying that once the offending party has ingrained itself in the bulbul's presence it's easier for them to just put up with it despite how troublesome it is to care for it than to eject it along with its good work and risk getting sacked altogether. Suddenly every tech support specialist everywhere feels vindicated by evolution. So you’re saying that once the offending party has ingrained itself in the bulbul’s presence it’s easier for them to just put up with it despite how troublesome it is to care for it than to eject it along with its good work and risk getting sacked altogether. Suddenly every tech support specialist everywhere feels vindicated by evolution.

]]> By: Ed Yong http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10685 Ed Yong Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:37:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10685 @Lisa - The pic's from Wikipedia and the caption says it's a juvenile Cape bulbul. That could account for the small physical differences? @Lisa – The pic’s from Wikipedia and the caption says it’s a juvenile Cape bulbul. That could account for the small physical differences?

]]> By: Lisa http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/02/08/staying-out-of-the-arms-race-or-when-evolution-goes-meh/#comment-10684 Lisa Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:39:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=3806#comment-10684 Hi Ed Great story as usual! I think the Cape bulbul image you have here is actually some sort of white eye. The Cape bulbul looks quite different: http://www.birdlife.org.za/fieldguide/book/species_info.php?id=191 Thanks for the awesome blog, Lisa Hi Ed
Great story as usual! I think the Cape bulbul image you have here is actually some sort of white eye. The Cape bulbul looks quite different: http://www.birdlife.org.za/fieldguide/book/species_info.php?id=191
Thanks for the awesome blog, Lisa

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