Embryo movement is more frequent in avian brood parasites than birds with parental reproductive strategies

0547651 - ÚBO 2022 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
McClelland, S. C. - Reynolds, M. - Cordall, M. - Hauber, M. E. - Goymann, W. - McClean, L. A. - Hamama, S. - Lund, J. - Dixit, T. - Louder, M. I. M. - Safari, I. - Honza, Marcel - Spottiswoode, C. N. - Portugal, S. J.
Embryo movement is more frequent in avian brood parasites than birds with parental reproductive strategies.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences. Roč. 288, č. 1961 (2021), č. článku 20211137. ISSN 0962-8452. E-ISSN 1471-2954
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-12262S
Institutional support: RVO:68081766
Keywords : avian brood parasites * co-evolutionary arms race * embryonic development * muscle development
OECD category: Ornithology
Impact factor: 5.531, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2021.1137

Movement of the embryo is essential for musculoskeletal development in vertebrates, yet little is known about whether, and why, species vary. Avian brood parasites exhibit feats of strength in early life as adaptations to exploit the hosts that rear them. We hypothesized that an increase in embryonic movement could allow brood parasites to develop the required musculature for these demands. We measured embryo movement across incubation for multiple brood-parasitic and non-parasitic bird species. Using a phylogenetically controlled analysis, we found that brood parasites exhibited significantly increased muscular movement during incubation compared to non-parasites. This suggests that increased embryo movement may facilitate the development of the stronger musculoskeletal system required for the demanding tasks undertaken by young brood parasites.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0323845