Scientists Crack Egg Forging Evolutionary Puzzle
Published:12 Apr.2022 Source:University of Cambridge
As many humans prepare to unwrap their Easter eggs, scientists have solved one of nature's biggest criminal cases, an egg forgery scandal two million years in the making. Their findings suggest that the victims of this fraud may now be gaining the upper hand.
Around the world, many birds side-step the costs of parenthood by laying their eggs in the nest of other species. This lifestyle, termed "brood parasitism," has many advantages but also presents challenges such as how to convince the other species to accept a foreign egg. Many brood parasites achieve this by mimicking the colours and patterns of their host's eggs, but some exploit the care of several different host species whose eggs all look different.