10.5061/DRYAD.FT56MN76
Spottiswoode, Claire N.
University of Cambridge
University of Cape Town
Stevens, Martin
University of Cambridge
Data from: Host-parasite arms races and rapid changes in bird egg appearance
Dryad
dataset
2012
Ecology: evolutionary
Sensory Biology
Evolution: host/parasite
Prinia subflava
Interactions: host/parasite
Coevolution
Anomalospiza imberbis
polymorphism
2012-01-12T19:48:55Z
2012-01-12T19:48:55Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1086/665031
155649 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Coevolutionary arms races are a powerful force driving evolution,
adaptation, and diversification. They can generate phenotypic
polymorphisms which render it harder for a coevolving parasite or predator
to exploit any one individual of a given species. In birds, egg
polymorphisms should be an effective defense against mimetic brood
parasites, and are extreme in the African tawny-flanked prinia (Prinia
subflava) and its parasite the cuckoo finch (Anomalospiza imberbis). Here
we use models of avian visual perception to analyze the appearance of
prinia and cuckoo finch eggs from the same location over forty years. We
show that the two interacting populations have experienced rapid changes
in egg traits. Egg colors of both species have diversified over time,
expanding into avian color space as expected under negative
frequency-dependent selection. Egg pattern showed signatures of both
frequency-dependent and directional selection in different traits, which
appeared to be evolving independently of one another. Host and parasite
are closely tracking one another's evolution, since parasites showed
closer color mimicry of contemporaneous hosts. This correlational evidence
suggests that hosts and parasites are locked in an ongoing arms race in
egg appearance, driven by constant change in the selective advantage of
different phenotypes, and that coevolutionary arms races can generate
remarkably rapid phenotypic change.
Blown vs unblown colorSpatial data for colorSpatial data for
patternTemporal data for colorTemporal data for pattern
Africa
Zambia
Choma