10.5061/DRYAD.6N8TB
Feeney, William E.
Australian National University
Troscianko, Jolyon
University of Exeter
Langmore, Naomi E.
Australian National University
Spottiswoode, Claire N.
University of Cambridge
Data from: Evidence for aggressive mimicry in an adult brood parasitic
bird, and generalised defences in its host
Dryad
dataset
2015
2015-06-02T17:39:54Z
2015-06-02T17:39:54Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.0795
106713 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Mimicry of a harmless model (aggressive mimicry) is used by egg, chick and
fledgling brood parasites that resemble the host's own eggs, chicks
and fledglings. However, aggressive mimicry may also evolve in adult brood
parasites, to avoid attack from hosts and/or manipulate their perception
of parasitism risk. We tested the hypothesis that female cuckoo finches
(Anomalospiza imberbis) are aggressive mimics of female Euplectes weavers,
such as the harmless, abundant and sympatric southern red bishop
(Euplectes orix). We show that female cuckoo finch plumage colour and
pattern more closely resembled those of Euplectes weavers (putative
models) than Vidua finches (closest relatives); that their tawny-flanked
prinia (Prinia subflava) hosts were equally aggressive towards female
cuckoo finches and southern red bishops, and more aggressive to both than
to their male counterparts; and that prinias were equally likely to reject
an egg after seeing a female cuckoo finch or bishop, and more likely to do
so than after seeing a male bishop near their nest. This is, to our
knowledge, the first quantitative evidence for aggressive mimicry in an
adult bird, and suggests that host–parasite coevolution can select for
aggressive mimicry by avian brood parasites, and counter-defences by
hosts, at all stages of the reproductive cycle.
Model_Presentation_ExperimentsModel presentation data.Model Presentation
and Egg Rejection ExperimentsModel Presentation and Egg Rejection
ExperimentsModel_Presentation_Egg_Rejection_Experiments.xlsx