Abstract
Interspecific brood parasites exploit the parental care of host species. This exploitation entails fitness costs for the hosts, which favor the evolution of antiparasitic defenses. Host defenses select for counter-defenses in the parasite, which in turn select for improved host defenses; this results in a coevolutionary arms race that may operate at each stage of the nesting cycle of the host. Most studied examples of the coevolutionary arms race in brood parasites are restricted to the egg stage, with relatively few studies showing coevolution between hosts and parasites at the nestling or fledgling stages; studies on the whole set of host defenses and potential parasite counter-defenses at each stage of the breeding cycle are still lacking. Systems in which parasites are host specialists are particularly well suited to an examination of the pairwise coevolutionary interactions before, during and after host egg-laying, and how these interactions have shaped host resistance or tolerance of parasitism. The Screaming Cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris) is one of the most specialized brood parasites, and mainly parasitizes nests of a single host species, the Grayish Baywing (Agelaioides badius). Parasitism rates of Grayish Baywing nests are extremely high, with most nests parasitized several times. Several traits of this host-parasite system suggest ancient coevolutionary relationships encompassing the entire nesting cycle. In this paper we summarize the main results of a long-term study on the costs of Screaming Cowbird parasitism on the Grayish Baywing’s reproductive success and how these costs have favored reciprocal adaptations and counter-adaptations at each stage of the nesting cycle.
Zusammenfassung
Koevolutionäre Rüstungsspirale zwischen einem Brutparasit, dem Rotachsel-Kuhstärling, und seinem Host, dem Graukuhstärling
Interspezifische Brutparasiten nutzen die Brutpflege ihrer Hosts aus. Diese Ausnutzung erzeugt Kosten bei den Hosts, die die Evolution von Verteidigungsmechanismen hervorbringt. Diese Verteidigungsmechanismen erzeugen wiederum Kontermechanismen im Parasit, die erneut verfeinerte Verteidigungsmechanismen im Host enwickeln. Dies erzeugt eine Rüstungsspirale die während der ganzen Brutphase des Hosts stattfinden kann. Die meisten Beispiele einer Rüstungsspirale in Brutparasiten findet man während der Eierphase, mit wenigen Studien die diese Koevolution in der Küken- und Jungphase zeigen. Studien, die Verteidigungs- und Kontermechanismen während der ganzen Brutphase bewerten, fehlen noch. Systeme in denen der Brutparasit einen einzigen Host benutzt sind besonders günstig um dieses koevolutionäre Zusammenspiel vor, während und nach der Eierlegephase zu studieren und die Resistenz oder Toleranz des Hosts dem Brutparasiten gegenüber zu evaluieren. Der Rotachsel-Kuhstarling (Molothrus rufoaxillaris) ist einer der spezialisiertesten Brutparasiten, der hauptsächlich die Nester einer einzigen Art parasitiert, die des Graukuhstärlings (Agelaioides badius). Der Anteil der parasitierten Nester im Graukuhstärling is extrem hoch, und den Grossteil der Nester findet man mehrmals parasitiert. Mehrere Eigenschaften dieses Host-Brutparasitsystems weisen auf eine historische Koevolution, die die gesamte Brutphase umfasst. In diesem Beitrag fassen wir die bedeutendsten Ergebnisse einer langfristigen Studie zusammen, und zeigen die Kosten die ein Brutparasit, der Rotachsel-Kuhstärling, in einem Host, dem Graukuhstärling, hervorbringt und wie diese Kosten die gegenseitigen Adaptationen und Konteradaptationen während der gesamten Brutphase hervorrufen.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Fundación Elsa Shaw de Pearson for allowing us to work at the study site in Reserva El Destino. We are grateful to F. Lama, J. M. Rojas Ripari, R. Masok and R. Gloag, who contributed to various aspects of the data collection. We also thank three anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on a previous version of this manuscript and Bettina Mahler for the German translation of the abstract. This work was supported by funds granted to J. C. Reboreda and M. C. De Mársico by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica and the Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnica, University of Buenos Aires.
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De Mársico, M.C., Ursino, C.A., Scardamaglia, R.C. et al. Coevolutionary arms race between a specialist brood parasite, the Screaming Cowbird, and its host, the Grayish Baywing. J Ornithol 160, 1221–1233 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-019-01697-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-019-01697-0