Experimental support for the role of nest predation in the evolution of brood parasitism

• Published in: Journal of evolutionary biology Vol. 22; no. 6; pp. 1354 - 1358
• Main Authors: SHAW, R.C, HAUBER, M.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2009; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Animal reproduction; Animals; Biological Evolution; Birds; brood parasitism; captive animals; Eggs; estrildid; evolution; Evolutionary biology; Experiments; Female; Finches; intraspecific brood parasitism; Male; nest removal; Nesting Behavior; Nests; Oviparity; Parasites; Parasitism; Predation; Predatory Behavior; prediction; Taeniopygia guttata

In 1965, Hamilton and Orians (HO) hypothesized that the starting point for the evolution of obligate interspecific brood parasitism in birds was the facultative laying of physiologically committed eggs in neighbouring active nests of con- and heterospecifics, following predation of a bird's own...