摘要
e coevolutionary arms race between cuckoos and their hosts predicts that low variation in egg features within a host clutch would facilitate discrimination of mimetic parasite eggs.Here,we experimentally examine this prediction by using arti cial and natural parasite eggs showing contrasting level of matching with host eggs.We quanti ed,based on human assessment,intra-clutch variation in egg appearance and egg discrimination in the Iberian Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus),a presumed former host of the Great Spotted Cuckoo(Clamator glandarius).Azure-winged Magpies rejected parasitic eggs in relation to their degree of dissimilarity with own eggs:Great Spotted Cuckoo model eggs were relatively more o en rejected(73.7%) than real Great Spotted Cuckoo eggs(44.4%) and the less contrasting conspeci c eggs(35.5%).Contrary to our predictions,we found that,irrespective of mimicry level of parasitic eggs,intra-clutch variation in host egg appearance did not di er signi cantly between rejecters and acceptors.We found,however,that individuals with higher variation in egg-size were almost signi cantly more prone to be rejecters than individuals showing lower variation in egg size.Our results do not support the hypothesis that the extent of intraclutch variation in egg discrimination varied with parasite egg mimicry in this particular system,and add to previous ndings suggesting that perhaps an increase in intra-clutch variation in egg appearance,rather than a decrease,might be advantageous when discriminating against non-mimetic Great Spotted Cuckoo eggs.
杜鹃与其宿主之间的协同进化竞赛理论预测,当卵模拟程度较高时,较低的窝内变异(即宿主自己的卵之间差异很小)有利于宿主识别外来寄生卵。这个假说还进一步预测当宿主识别寄生模拟卵时,窝内卵的变异程度在卵识别中所起到的作用将会增加。本研究利用与宿主的卵匹配程度截然不同的人工和天然寄生卵,在大斑凤头鹃(Clamator glandarius)可能的前宿主、同时具备较强的卵识别能力的灰喜鹊(Cyanopica cyanus)中进行实验,通过人工评估宿主窝内卵的变异程度和宿主对卵的区分程度来验证上述推断。西班牙伊比利亚的灰喜鹊依靠寄生卵与自身卵的不相似程度来识别寄生卵:杜鹃模型卵(73.7%)通常比天然的杜鹃卵(44.4%)以及具有更高模拟程度的宿主同种卵(35.5%)更易被拒绝。然而,卵的窝内变异程度与宿主识别这些模拟或非模拟的寄生卵并没有显著相关性。与理论预期相反,本研究发现无论寄生卵的模拟程度如何,对于那些在卵大小方面变异更大的宿主个体来说,更倾向拒绝卵而不是接受。本研究结果表明,该寄生系统中卵的窝内变异程度在卵识别中所起的作用随着寄生卵的模拟程度而变化的假说不成立。在以往研究的基础上,我们还认为卵的窝内变异程度增加,而不是减小,可能会更有利于宿主识别大斑凤头鹃的非模拟卵。
