Presentation Details
| Egg color mimcry in the common cuckoo Daniel Hanley1, Kepplinger David2, Nasir Ariba1, Sama Peter3, Villa Juliana1, Joćo de Alcantara Viana 1. 1Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.2Department of Statistics, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.3Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno Czech Republic |
Abstract
Eggshell mimicry in many cuckoo‑host systems is a textbook example of a coevolutionary arms race. Cuckoos lay their eggs in their hosts’ nests, and most hosts have evolved to reject cuckoo eggs. It is long‑assumed that these interactions select for coevolutionary arms races resulting in distinct cuckoo host‑races that lay eggs matching those of their specific host. We challenge this paradigm and show that arms races and egg color mimicry are the exception to the rule. Using eggshell reflectance spectra from 39 host species, we show that eggshell color mimicry is uncommon even among frequent hosts. Cuckoo egg colors occupy a color space six times smaller than that of their hosts’ and achieve mimicry for only a few colors. Further, cuckoo host‑races rarely lay eggs matching their hosts’ eggs or those of other cuckoos of the same race. These findings are inconsistent with the long‑held assumption of coevolutionary arms races, but can be explained by coevolutionary alternation, defined by continual host‑switching. These findings open new avenues for research in a system that has long served as a model for studying coevolutionary processes.
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