Habitat-selection hypothesis

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Habitat selection hypothesis describes how an organism's habitat in a juvenile life stage affects their behavior in their adult life. Another term is natal habitat preference induction (NHPI), which is a mechanism that is typically described as host selection which typically occurs through habitat imprinting in early post-natal development. This theory argues that an adult would choose an environment post-dispersal that has similar stimuli as their early development. This mechanism is thought to improve fitness of the individual and has been found in many species across different taxa, such as insects, fish, amphibians, mammals and birds. [1]

One of the first hypotheses regarding habitat selection hypothesis was Andrew Hopkins' host selection principle (HHSP), first proposed in 1916, which states that many adult insects prefer the host species they developed on. [2] This principle has faced some controversy, but there is evidence that conditioning and genetic variation during a life span of an insect contributes to host preference on where the insect developed.

Examples

It is one of several hypotheses that attempt to explain the mechanisms of brood parasite host selection in cuckoos. Cuckoos are not the only brood parasites, however the behavior is more rare in other groups of birds, including ducks, weavers, and cowbirds. [3]

Brood parasites and their favored host species are known to coevolve, which means both are likely to possess specific adaptations and counter-adaptations. An example of such an evolutionary arms race between a brood parasite and its host, is the phenomenon of egg rejection and egg mimicry, its counter-adaptation. [4] [5] Cuckoo eggs have been found in the nests of over 100 different species, of which 11 have been identified as primary host species and a similar number as secondary. Egg patterns and coloring differs greatly between these host species, and the cuckoo eggs vary accordingly. [4] [6] Thus it is important for a female cuckoo to deposit her eggs in a nest corresponding to the same species as her foster parents, because if she were to select a different host species, that would likely entail a higher risk of egg rejection. [7]

A female cuckoo retains recognition of certain stimuli, like vegetation, from experience with her natal habitat. [8] This imprinting of the habitat type in which the female cuckoo was reared may cause her to subsequently return to this habitat type in order to lay eggs and therefore increases the likelihood of encountering the suitable host species, as most host species are known to be habitat specific. Thus, habitat selection is thought to allow for specific host selection by the female cuckoo. [8] [9] In some cases, an individual may choose a different habitat from their original imprint based on the reproductive success of conspecific individuals in the vicinity. [10]

There are 5 hypotheses for host selection in cuckoos: Inherited preference, host imprinting, natal philopatry (returning to their own birthplace to lay eggs), nest site choice (preference based on egg and nest similarity), and habitat selection. [9] Although the preponderance of evidence seems to be in favor of the habitat selection hypothesis, some evidence for natal philopatry has been observed in cuckoos and the majority of cuckoo eggs are found in nests and among eggs matching their foster species, which supports the nest site choice hypothesis, but does not invalidate any of the other hypotheses. [6] [11] It could also be the case that there is more than one mechanism of host selection at play here. In their 1997 study, Teuschl et al. suggest the possibility of a hierarchical decision process consisting of 3 steps: 1) upon returning from their spring migration the female cuckoos go back to the approximate location of their birthplace, which should increase the likelihood of them finding a familiar habitat, 2) choosing a suitable habitat based on habitat imprinting, 3) choosing a suitable nest within that habitat. [9]

References

  1. ↑ Davis, J; Stamps, JA (August 2004). "The effect of natal experience on habitat preferences" . Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 19 (8): 411–416. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2004.04.006. PMID   16701298.
  2. ↑ Barron, A B (November 2001). "The Life and Death of Hopkins' Host-Selection Principle". Journal of Insect Behavior. 14: 725–737. doi:10.1023/A:1013033332535.
  3. ↑ Payne, R B (November 1977). "The Ecology of Brood Parasitism in Birds". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 8 (1): 1–28. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.08.110177.000245.
  4. 1 2 de L. Brooke, M.; Davies, N. B. (October 1988). "Egg mimicry by cuckoos Cuculus canorus in relation to discrimination by hosts". Nature. 335 (6191): 630–632. Bibcode:1988Natur.335..630D. doi:10.1038/335630a0. S2CID   41362434.
  5. ↑ Rothstein, S I (November 1990). "A Model System for Coevolution: Avian Brood Parasitism". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 21 (1): 481–508. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.21.110190.002405.
  6. 1 2 Moksnes, Arne; ØSkaft, Eivin R. (August 1995). "Egg-morphs and host preference in the common cuckoo ( Cuculus canorus ): an analysis of cuckoo and host eggs from European museum collections". Journal of Zoology. 236 (4): 625–648. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1995.tb02736.x.
  7. ↑ Brooker, L. C.; Brooker, M. G. (April 1990). "Why Are Cuckoos Host Specific?". Oikos. 57 (3): 301. doi:10.2307/3565958. JSTOR   3565958.
  8. 1 2 Vogl, Wolfgang; Taborsky, Michael; Taborsky, Barbara; Teuschl, Yvonne; Honza, Marcel (December 2002). "Cuckoo females preferentially use specific habitats when searching for host nests". Animal Behaviour. 64 (6): 843–850. doi:10.1006/anbe.2003.1967. S2CID   17818119.
  9. 1 2 3 Teuschl, Yvonne; Taborsky, Barbara; Taborsky, Michael (December 1998). "How do cuckoos find their hosts? The role of habitat imprinting". Animal Behaviour. 56 (6): 1425–1433. doi:10.1006/anbe.1998.0931. PMID   9933539. S2CID   25931055.
  10. ↑ Danchin, Etienne; Boulinier, Thierry; Massot, Manuel (October 1998). "Conspecific Reproductive Success and Breeding Habitat Selection: Implications for the Study of Coloniality". Ecology. 79 (7): 2415–2428. doi:10.2307/176832. JSTOR   176832.
  11. ↑ Seel, D. C.; Walton, K. C.; Wyllie, I. (November 1981). "Age of first breeding in the Cuckoo". Bird Study. 28 (3): 211–214. doi: 10.1080/00063658109476725 .
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