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The Theory of Coevolution
Context:
Researchers have discovered evidence that coevolution is leading to the creation of new species, by examining the evolutionary competition between cuckoos and the host birds.
More on News:
- A recent study by a team of researchers has provided evidence linking coevolution to speciation.
- The study involved an international team of researchers from the University of Cambridge, Australian National University, CSIRO, and the University of Melbourne.
- Study focused on the evolutionary arms race between cuckoos and their host birds.
- Coevolution theory posits that closely interacting species can induce evolutionary changes in each other, potentially resulting in speciation.
- Research Methodology: Researchers extracted DNA from historical eggshells and combined it with behavioural fieldwork spanning two decades.
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- Breakthroughs in DNA extraction facilitated genetic studies.
Coevolution and Speciation: Evidence from Cuckoos and Host Birds:
- Researchers studied the evolutionary arms race between cuckoos and their host birds to investigate the link between coevolution and speciation.
- Bronze-cuckoos exploit small songbirds by laying their eggs in their nests, displacing host eggs upon hatching.
- Hosts invest time and energy in rearing cuckoo chicks, leading to reproductive losses.
- Each bronze-cuckoo species closely mimics the appearance of its host’s chicks to avoid detection.
- Cuckoo species diverge into separate genetic lineages, mimicking the chicks of their favoured hosts.
Emergence of New Species through Cuckoo-Host Interactions:
- When a cuckoo species exploits various host birds, it sets the stage for the emergence of new species.
- Chicks of each host species exhibit unique appearances, and hosts have a tendency to reject nestlings that appear different or odd.
- As a result, the cuckoo species diverges into separate genetic lineages, with each lineage mimicking the chicks of its preferred host.
- These newly formed lineages represent the initial stages of new species emerging within the cuckoo population.
- The findings suggest that the coevolutionary arms race between cuckoos and their hosts can lead to an increase in biodiversity.
