Cognitive Decision Rules for Egg Rejection

Manna, Thomas J.; Moskát, Csaba; Hauber, Márk E.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73138-4_24

Cited by 28 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Ejecting parasitic eggs requires that hosts have perceptual processes for identifying salient cues, cognitive processes to discriminate between their own eggs and those laid by parasites, and mechanical adaptations to remove the detected foreign egg(s) (Peer and Sealy 2004, Stoddard and Hauber 2017). Cognitive mechanisms that allow for the identification of parasitic eggs have received much attention (Manna et al 2017) and are generally thought to occur through discordancy (or the recognition of the outlier egg phenotype within a clutch) (Rothstein 1975) and/or template‐based discrimination (genetic or learned mental representation of the acceptable egg phenotype) (Lyon 2007). Although there is empirical evidence for both types of cognitive processes contributing to the rejection of parasitic eggs from host nests, data in support of template matching are more common (Moskat et al 2010, Stevens et al 2013).…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self‐referent phenotype matching is a poor predictor of egg rejection by American Robins

Hauber¹,

Kim²,

Goethe³

et al. 2020

J. Field Ornithol.

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Many hosts of obligate brood‐parasitic birds use variation in the coloration and pattern of eggshells to identify and reject foreign eggs from their nests. However, egg‐rejection behavior of several hosts is not tightly predicted by the modeled output of overall avian‐perceivable chromatic differences between foreign and host eggs. This demands a re‐investigation into the proximate sensory cues and perceptual processes used for egg recognition. One plausible mechanism is that rejection by hosts depends on the relative stimulation of one (or a combination) of their photoreceptors when comparing their own and parasitic eggs (i.e., self‐referencing). To test this, we placed dark‐blue egg models (with a known ~ 50% rejection rate) in nests of American Robins (Turdus migratorius), which are occasional hosts of Brown‐headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater). We found that relative metrics of individually repeatable size or shape and overall avian‐perceivable differences in color between American Robin eggs and model eggs did not explain the probability of an experimental egg being rejected. However, despite a limited R2 value, hosts were significantly more likely to reject a model egg when the estimated contrast between their own egg and the model egg was greater for the blue (SWS) photoreceptor. These results are consistent with female American Robins using a simple physiological algorithm that would confer widespread benefits by reducing the likelihood of rejecting their own eggs, while still eliminating parasitic eggs because of their dissimilar novel coloration.

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Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self‐referent phenotype matching is a poor predictor of egg rejection by American Robins

Hauber¹,

Kim²,

Goethe³

et al. 2020

J. Field Ornithol.

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“…Characterizing these visual properties in American robins would make it possible to more precisely test and model robin visual discrimination of egg features. However, visual physiology alone, i.e., modeling visual perception using ocular anatomy and retinal physiology, cannot wholly predict egg recognition and egg rejection behavior of avian brood parasite hosts (Croston and Hauber, 2014;Hanley et al, 2017;Manna et al, 2017;Stoddard and Stevens, 2011). Upon gathering visual information, brood parasite hosts likely use a combination of cognitive decision rules when recognizing and deciding to reject a foreign egg, including counting eggs in the nest (Lyon, 2003), rejecting the most dissimilar egg amongst all eggs in the nest (Moskát et al, 2010), and comparing a foreign egg's appearance against an internal representation of own eggs' appearance (Stevens et al, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual acuity and egg spatial chromatic contrast predict egg rejection behavior of American robins

Luro

Fernández‐Juricic

Baumhardt

et al. 2020

Preprint

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Summary StatementWe used 3D-printed model eggs with checkered patterns of varying dimensions to test how chromatic visual acuity affects egg recognition in an avian brood parasite host species, the American robin. AbstractColor and spatial vision are critical for recognition and discrimination tasks affecting fitness, including finding food and mates and recognizing offspring. For example, as a counter defense to avoid the cost of raising the unrelated offspring of obligate interspecific avian brood parasites, many host species routinely view, recognize, and remove the foreign egg(s) from their nests. Recent research has shown that host species visually attend to both chromatic and spatial pattern features of eggs; yet how hosts simultaneously integrate these features together when recognizing eggs remains an open question. Here, we tested egg rejection responses of American robins (Turdus migratorius) using a range of 3D-printed model eggs covered with blue and yellow checkered patterns differing in relative square sizes. We predicted that robins would reject a model egg if they could visually resolve the blue and yellow squares as separate features or accept it if the squares blended together and appeared similar in color to the natural blue-green color of robin eggs as perceived by the avian visual system. As predicted, the probability of robins rejecting a model egg increased with greater sizes of its blue and yellow squares. Our results suggest that chromatic visual acuity and viewing distance have the potential to limit the ability of a bird to recognize a foreign egg in its nest, thus providing a limitation to host egg recognition that obligate interspecific avian brood parasites may exploit. 409 410 411 412 413 414 Abolins-Abols, M., Hanley, D., Moskát, C., Grim, T. and Hauber, M. E. (2019). Antiparasitic egg rejection by great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) tracks differences along an eggshell color gradient. Stokke, B. G. (2010). Avian colour perception predicts behavioural responses to experimental brood parasitism in chaffinches. J. Evol. Biol. 23, 293-301. Bürkner, P. C. (2017). brms: An R package for Bayesian multilevel models using Stan. J. Stat. Softw. 80, 1-28. Canniff, L., Dainson, M., López, A. V., Hauber, M. E., Grim, T., Samaš, P. and Hanley, D. (2018). Probing the limits of egg recognition using egg rejection experiments along phenotypic gradients. J. Vis. Exp. 2018, e57512. Cassey, P., Honza, M., Grim, T. and Hauber, M. E. (2008). The modelling of avian visual perception predicts behavioural rejection responses to foreign egg colours. Biol. Lett. 4, 515-517. Caves, E. M. and Johnsen, S. (2017). AcuityView: An r package for portraying the effects of visual acuity on scenes observed by an animal. Methods Ecol. Evol. 9, 793-797. Princeton University Press. Croston, R. and Hauber, M. E. (2014). Spectral tuning and perceptual differences do not explain the rejection of brood parasitic eggs by American robins (Turdus migratorius). Behav. Ecol. Sociob...

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“…The mechanisms through which glucocorticoids affect the probability of egg rejection are 155 unknown. For example, a rise in glucocorticoid levels in response to a parasitic egg (or an adult brood 156 parasite) may activate an action pattern of discrimination, recognition, and rejection [6]. Another 157 possibility is that the effect of glucocorticoids on egg rejection is mediated by a general suppression of 158 affiliative maternal behaviour [8].…”

Section: Discussion 134mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To mitigate the negative fitness consequences of parasitism, hosts can 27 evolve resistance strategies, such as the ability to recognize and reject foreign eggs or young in the nest 28 [3,4], or tolerance strategies, such as the ability to withstand the physiological costs of caring for, or 29 coexisting with, a parasitic nestling [5]. Although much is known about the perceptual cues and 30 behavioural responses that hosts employ to recognize and reject brood parasitic stimuli [6], the 31 physiological mechanisms that underlie host responses to brood parasites remain poorly understood [7]. 32…”

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confidence: 99%

Glucocorticoids mediate egg rejection in a brood parasite host

Āboliņš-Ābols

Hauber

2019

Preprint

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10Avian brood parasites and their hosts are engaged in a coevolutionary battle that can result in the 11 evolution of sophisticated trickery by parasites and novel defence behaviours in hosts. Despite the clear 12 evolutionary and ecological significance of host behaviour, however, we know very little about the 13 mechanisms that regulate host defences, which limits our understanding of both inter-and intraspecific 14 variation in host responses to parasitism. Here we tested whether corticosterone, a hormone known to be 15 upregulated in hosts exposed to parasitism, also mediates one of the most frequent host defencesthe 16 rejection of foreign eggs. We experimentally reduced corticosterone levels in free-living brood parasite 17 hosts, American robins Turdus migratorius, using mitotane and found that the likelihood of model egg 18rejection was significantly lower in the mitotane-treated birds relative to the sham-treated birds. These 19 results demonstrate a causal link between glucocorticoids and egg rejection in hosts of avian brood 20 parasites, but the physiological and sensory-cognitive pathways that regulate this effect remain unknown. 21 22

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Cognitive Decision Rules for Egg Rejection

Cited by 28 publications

References 43 publications

Self‐referent phenotype matching is a poor predictor of egg rejection by American Robins

Self‐referent phenotype matching is a poor predictor of egg rejection by American Robins

Visual acuity and egg spatial chromatic contrast predict egg rejection behavior of American robins

Glucocorticoids mediate egg rejection in a brood parasite host

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