The evolution of brood parasitism from host egg predation

• DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae043
• Publication Date: 2024-05-24T13:22:31Z
• Authors: Pierick Mouginot; Matthias Galipaud; Martin Reichard
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences

Abstract Obligate brood parasites pass all their parental duties to foster parents of a host species. While best understood in birds and hymenopteran insects, obligate parasitism has evolved independently at least 59 times across many lineages. The ancestors often provided no care offspring. Instead, trophic association with eventual hosts commonly appears precede the origin parasitic strategy. Here, we used game theoretical model explore conditions under which can evolve from predation be maintained population. Our was inspired by relationship between cuckoo catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus) parasitizing mouthbrooding cichlid fishes African Lake Tanganyika. demonstrates facilitatory role egg on evolutionary maintenance through exploitation response parasites. We found as pure strategy is evolutionarily stable, but describe range stable equilibria when predators coexist. our tailored catfish, it generally applies other systems where antagonistic behavior.