Citation
Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats
TL;DR
Egg mimicry evolves through arms race
Comprehensive review of brood parasitism showing evolutionary arms race between parasites and hosts. Demonstrates how deception systems evolve and the mechanisms hosts develop to resist exploitation.
Key Findings from Davies (2000)
- Egg mimicry evolves through arms race
- Host rejection selects for better mimicry
- Parasitism persists at equilibrium frequency