Article
Brood Parasitism Is Linked to Egg Pattern Diversity within and among Species of Australian Passerines.
The American naturalist - 1 Mar 2016
Medina Iliana, Troscianko Jolyon, Stevens Martin, Langmore Naomi E
Abstract excerpt
Bird eggs show striking diversity in color and pattern. One explanation for this is that interactions between avian brood parasites and their hosts drive egg phenotype evolution. Brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other species, their hosts. Many hosts defend their nests against parasitism by rejecting foreign eggs, which selects for parasite eggs that mimic those of the host. In theory, this may in...
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