Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
63
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.7.1
Dataset results
63 results for “nest parasitism”
No evidence of adaptive tolerance of parasitism in a cavity-nesting brood parasite host
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Host nest defence does not act as selective agent against plumage polymorphism in brood parasites
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Limited evidence of biased offspring sex allocation in a cavity-nesting conspecific brood parasite
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Host identity, nest quality, and parasitism strategy: influences on body size variation in parasitoid bees and wasps
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: The socially parasitic ant Polyergus mexicanus has host-associated genetic population structure and related neighboring nests
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Did extreme nest predation favor the evolution of obligate brood parasitism in a duck?
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
The roles of temperature, nest predators and information parasites for geographical variation in egg covering behaviour of tits (Paridae)
<p><strong>Aim</strong>: Nest building is widespread among animals. Nests may provide receptacles for eggs, developing offspring and the parents, and protect them from adverse environmental conditions. Nests may also indicate the quality of the territory and its owner and can be considered as an extended phenotype of its builder(s). Nests may, thus, function as a sexual and social signal. Here, we examined ecological and abiotic factors—temperature, nest predation and interspecific information utilization—shaping geographical variation in a specific nest structure—hair and feather cover of eggs— and its function as an extended phenotype before incubation in great (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) across Europe. We also tested whether egg covering is associated with reproductive success of great tits.</p> <p><strong>Location</strong>: Fourteen different study sites and 28 populations across Europe.</p> <p><strong>Taxon</strong>: Parus major, Cyanistes caeruleus.</p> <p><strong>Methods</strong>: We recorded clutch coverage estimates and collected egg covering nest material from the tit nests. We also measured nest specific breeding parameters and phenotypic measurements on adults. We tested whether mean spring temperatures, nest predation rates and flycatcher (Ficedula spp) densities in the study areas explain the large-scale geographical variation of clutch coverage and reproductive success of tits.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong>: The degree of egg coverage of great tits increased with lower mean spring temperature, higher nest predation rate and higher flycatcher density. We did not find egg covering of blue tits to be associated with any of the ecological or abiotic factors. Moreover, egg covering of great tits was not associated with reproductive success in our cross-sectional data, yet a rigorous assessment of fitness effects would require long-term data.</p> <p><strong>Main conclusions</strong>: Our findings suggest that, in great tits, egg covering may simultaneously provide thermal insulation against cold temperatures during egg-laying in spring and also represent a counter-adaptation to reduce information parasitism by flycatchers and nest predation. Hence, geographical variation in interspecific interactions, and consequently in co-evolutionary processes, may affect the evolution of nest characteristics besides environmental conditions.</p>
Data from: Impact of brood parasitism and predation on nest survival of the fan-tailed gerygone in New Caledonia
<p>Predation and brood parasitism are common reasons for nesting failure in passerine species and the additive impact by invasive species is a major conservation concern, particularly on tropical islands. Recognising the relative contribution of the different components of nesting failure rates is important to understand co-evolutionary interactions within brood parasite-host systems. In the remote archipelago of New Caledonia, the fan-tailed gerygone <i>Gerygone flavolateralis</i> is the exclusive host of the brood-parasitic shining bronze-cuckoo <i>Chalcites lucidus</i>. Additionally, invasive rodents also possibly have an impact on breeding success. To estimate the impact of potential nest predators, we 1) video monitored nests to identify predators, 2) estimated the probability of predation based on nest visibility and predator abundance and 3) tested the possibility that the location of experimental nests and lack of odour cues decrease the predation by rodents. In addition, we estimated nest survival rates using data collected in different habitats over the course of 8 breeding seasons. Nesting success of fan-tailed gerygone was relatively low and predation was the main cause of nesting failure. We recorded mainly predation by native birds, including the shining bronze-cuckoo, whereas predation by rats was rare. In open habitats predation by cuckoos was much lower than predation by other avian predators. Neither predator activity around nests nor nest visibility influenced the probability of predation. Experimental nests in more accessible locations and containing an odorous bait were more exposed to rodent predation. Apparently, the fan-tailed gerygone has either never been specifically vulnerable to predation by rats or has developed anti-predator adaptations.</p>
Data from: How cuckoos find and choose host nests for parasitism
How cuckoos find the nests of their hosts and choose nests with respect to egg phenotype for parasitism is a long-standing puzzle that has so far not been solved. We recently developed an experimental design to shed light on this mystery by studying the egg-laying behavior of common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) in nests of its Oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) host. Our results showed that common cuckoos only parasitized host nests with host activities but ignored the egg phenotypes in the nests. Furthermore, cuckoos distinguished between nest types of black-browed reed warbler (Acrocephalus bistrigiceps) and Oriential reed warbler and chose to parasitize the latter. This study provides strong evidence for host activities being a prime factor affecting cuckoo parasitism. Cuckoos must first locate the general site of host nests from activities by the host and then target the nests for parasitism. These observations reject the optimal egg-laying hypothesis stating that cuckoos are capable of choosing to lay eggs in host nests with visually matching egg phenotypes. Therefore, our studies challenge the idea that cuckoos recognize eggs that match their own.
Data from: Host nest site choice depends on risk of cuckoo parasitism in magpie hosts
Avian brood parasites impose large fitness costs on their hosts and, thus, brood parasitism has selected for an array of host defensive mechanisms to avoid them. So far most studies have focused on antiparasite defenses operating at the egg and chick stages and neglected defenses that may work prior to parasite egg deposition. Here, we experimentally explore the possibility that hosts, as part of a front-line defense, might minimize parasitism costs through informed nest site choice based on perceived risk of cuckoo parasitism. We conducted a large-scale manipulation of visual and auditory cues potentially informing on the risk of great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius parasitism during the nest site choice period of the magpie Pica pica host to investigate its effect on host's nest settlement and individual year to year site fidelity. Early breeding magpies preferentially placed their nests in safe areas (i.e., in sites of low perceived risk of parasitism), and, this effect diluted with time elapsed since risk of parasitism was manipulated. Site fidelity of individual magpies decreased with risk of cuckoo parasitism, for those that were not parasitized in the previous year. Our results constitute the first strong evidence showing that hosts can minimize the costs of cuckoo parasitism through informed nest-site choice, calling for future consideration of defenses potentially operating prior to parasite egg deposition to achieve a better understanding of cuckoo-host coevolution.
Data from: Differential responses to related hosts by nesting and non-nesting parasites in a brood-parasitic duck
Host-parasite relatedness may facilitate the evolution of conspecific brood parasitism (CBP), but empirical support for this contention remains inconclusive. One reason for this disparity may relate to the diversity of parasitic tactics, a key distinguishing feature being whether the parasite has a nest of her own. Previous work suggests that parasites without nests of their own may be of inferior phenotypic quality, but due to difficulties in identifying these parasitic individuals, little is known about their host selection criteria. We used high-resolution molecular maternity tests to assign parasitic offspring to known parasites with and without their own nests in a population of Barrow's goldeneyes (Bucephala islandica). We determined whether parasite nesting status, host-parasite relatedness, and distance between host and parasite nests affected the probability of parasitizing a host and the number of eggs laid per host. We also investigated whether nesting parasites, conventionally nesting females and non-nesting parasites differed regarding their age, structural size, body condition, nesting phenology or total brood size. The probability of engaging in parasitism increased with host-parasite relatedness and spatial proximity to host nests for nesting and non-nesting females alike. However, nesting parasites increased the number of eggs donated with relatedness to the host, while non-nesting parasites did not do so. Non-nesting parasites laid fewer eggs in total, but did not differ by any of the other quality measures from conventional nesters or nesting parasites. Our study provides the first demonstration that nesting and non-nesting parasites from the same population may use different host selection criteria.
Data from: Egg morphology fails to identify nests parasitized by conspecifics in common pochard: a test based on protein fingerprinting and including female relatedness
Conspecific brood parasites lay eggs in nests of other females of the same species. A variety of methods have been developed and used to detect conspecific brood parasitism (CBP). Traditional methods may be inaccurate in detecting CBP and in revealing its true frequency. On the other hand more accurate molecular methods are expensive and time consuming. Eadie developed a method for revealing CBP based on differences in egg morphology. That method is based on Euclidean distances calculated for pairs of eggs within a clutch using standardized egg measurements (length, width and weight). We tested the applicability of this method in the common pochard Aythya ferina using nests that were identified as parasitized (39 nests) or non-parasitized (16 nests) based on protein fingerprinting of eggs. We also analyzed whether we can distinguish between parasitic and host eggs in the nest. We found that variation in MED can be explained by parasitism but there was a huge overlap in MED between parasitized and non-parasitized nests. MED also increased with clutch size. Using discriminant function analysis (DFA) we found that only 76.4% of nests were correctly assigned as parasitized or nonparasitized and only 68.3% of eggs as parasitic or host eggs. Moreover we found that MED in parasitized nests increased with relatedness of the females that laid eggs in the nest. This finding was supported by positive correlation between MED and estimated relatedness in female–female pairs. Although variation in egg morphology is associated with CBP, it does not provide a reliable clue for distinguishing parasitized nests from non-parasitized nests in common pochard.
Data from: Nest signature changes throughout colony cycle and after social parasite invasion in social wasps
Social insects recognize their nestmates by means of a cuticular hydrocarbon signature shared by colony members, but how nest signature changes across time has been rarely tested in longitudinal studies and in the field. In social wasps, the chemical signature is also deposited on the nest surface, where it is used by newly emerged wasps as a reference to learn their colony odor. Here, we investigate the temporal variations of the chemical signature that wasps have deposited on their nests. We followed the fate of the colonies of the social paper wasp Polistes biglumis in their natural environment from colony foundation to decline. Because some colonies were invaded by the social parasite Polistes atrimandibularis, we also tested the effects of social parasites on the nest signature. We observed that, as the season progresses, the nest signature changed; the overall abundance of hydrocarbons as well as the proportion of longer-chain and branched hydrocarbons increased. Where present, social parasites altered the host-nest signature qualitatively (adding parasite-specific alkenes) and quantitatively (by interfering with the increase in overall hydrocarbon abundance). Our results show that 1) colony odor is highly dynamic both in colonies controlled by legitimate foundresses and in those controlled by social parasites; 2) emerged offspring contribute little to colony signature, if at all, in comparison to foundresses; and 3) social parasites, that later mimic host signature, initially mark host nests with species-specific hydrocarbons. This study implies that important updating of the neural template used in nestmate recognition should occur in social insects.
Data from: Cuckoo parasitism in a cavity nesting host: near absent egg-rejection in a northern redstart population under heavy apparent (but low effective) brood parasitism
Brood parasite - host systems continue to offer insights into species coevolution. A notable system is the redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus parasitized by the "redstart-cuckoo" Cuculus canorus gens. Redstarts are the only regular cuckoo hosts that breed in cavities, which challenges adult cuckoos in egg laying and cuckoo chicks in host eviction. We investigated parasitism in this system and found high overall parasitism rates (31.1% of 360 redstart nests), but also that only 33.1% of parasitism events (49 of 148 eggs) were successful in laying eggs into redstart nest cups. The majority of cuckoo eggs were mislaid and found on the rim of the nest; outside the nest cup. All available evidence suggests these eggs were not ejected by hosts. The effective parasitism rate was therefore only 12.8% of redstart nests. Redstarts responded to natural parasitism by deserting their nests in 13.0% of cases, compared to desertion rates of 2.8% for non-parasitized nests. Our egg parasitism experiments found low rates (12.2%) of rejection of artificial non-mimetic cuckoo eggs. Artificial mimetic and real cuckoo eggs added to nests were rejected at even lower rates, and were always rejected via desertion. Under natural conditions, only 21 cuckoo chicks fledged of 150 cuckoo eggs laid. Adding to this low success, is that cuckoo chicks are sometimes unable to evict all host young, and were more likely to die as a result compared to cuckoo chicks reared alone. This low success seems to be mainly due to the cavity nesting strategy of the redstart which is a challenging obstacle for the cuckoo. The redstart-cuckoo system appears to be a fruitful model system and we suggest much more emphasis should be placed on frontline defences such as nest site selection strategies when investigating brood parasite-host coevolution.
Conspecific brood parasitism and nest predation in moorhens
<p>Conspecific brood parasitism was investigated in three species of moorhens on three different continents: common moorhens in the United Kingdom, lesser moorhens in Namibia, and American moorhens in Panama. These are nest data used to summarize population-level rates of conspecific brood parasitism and nest predation. The data reported here were collected using similar field methods, and include nest dates, clutch sizes (number of host eggs), number of parasitic eggs, and nest fates.</p>
Choice of nest attributes as a frontline defense against brood parasitism
<p>Breeding- and nest-site choice is a behavioral strategy often used to counter negative interactions. Site choices prior to breeding prevents costs of predation and competition but has been neglected in the context of brood parasitism. For hosts of brood parasites, the earlier brood parasitism is prevented in the breeding cycle the lower the future costs. Suitable nest-sites for cavity-nesting common redstarts (<i><span>Phoenicurus phoenicurus</span></i><span>)</span>, a host of the common cuckoo (<i><span>Cuculus canorus</span></i>), are a limited resource, but their cavity-nesting strategy could potentially deter predators and brood parasites. We altered the entrance size of breeding cavities and investigated redstart nest site choice and its consequences to nest predation and brood parasitism risk, while accounting for potential interspecific competition for nest sites. We set-up paired nest-boxes and let redstarts choose between 7 cm and 5 cm entrance sizes. Additionally, we monitored occupancy rates in nest-boxes with 3 cm, 5 cm and 7 cm entrance sizes and recorded brood parasitism and predation events. We found that redstarts preferred to breed in 5 cm entrance size cavities, where brood parasitism was eliminated but nest predation rates were comparable to 7 cm entrance size cavities. Only in 3 cm cavities were both brood parasitism and predation rates reduced. In contrast to the other cavity-nesting species, redstart settlement was lowest in 3 cm entrance size cavities, potentially suggesting interspecific competition for small entrance size cavities. Nest site choice based on entrance size could be a front-line defense strategy that redstarts use to reduce brood parasitism.</p>
FIGURE 2 in Sand wasp (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) parasites emerging from mud wasp nests (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) - a reliable host record of Thraxan Yeates & Lambkin (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Anthracinae) with description of the pupal exuviae of three Thraxan species
FIGURE 2 Thraxan luteus Yeates & Lambkin. Male Pupal exuvia: (a) dorsal; (b) lateral; (c) head, ventral; (d); head and thorax, ventral; (e) abdominal segments 2 to 4, dorsal; (f) cephalic spines, dorsal; (g) cephalic spines, frontal; (h) cephalic spines, lateral; (i) anal segment, dorsal; (j) anal segment, ventral. Scale bars = 1 mm (c, e–j); = 0.1 mm (a, b, d).
FIGURE 1 in Sand wasp (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) parasites emerging from mud wasp nests (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) - a reliable host record of Thraxan Yeates & Lambkin (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Anthracinae) with description of the pupal exuviae of three Thraxan species
FIGURE 1 Thraxan sp. Female Pupal exuvia: (a) dorsal; (b) lateral; (c) head, ventral; (d); head and thorax, ventral; (e) abdominal segments 2 to 4, dorsal; (f) cephalic spines, dorsal; (g) cephalic spines, frontal; (h) cephalic spines, lateral; (i) anal segment, dorsal; (j) anal segment, ventral. Scale bars = 1 mm (c, e–j); = 0.1 mm (a, b, d). Abbreviations: aap = anterior antennal process; absr = abdominal spiracle; dpp = dorsal posterolateral process; fsp = frontal spine; lesh 1 = fore leg sheath; lesh 2 = mid leg sheath; lesh 3 = hind leg sheath; lfsp = lateral facial spine; lsh = labral sheath; mfha = median facial hair; msh = maxillary sheath; pap = posterior antennal process; pash = palpal sheath; plfha = posterolateral facial hair; pmc = posterior mesothoracic callosity; prsh = proboscidal sheath; vpp = ventral posterolateral process; wsh = wing sheath.
FIGURE 3 in Sand wasp (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) parasites emerging from mud wasp nests (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) - a reliable host record of Thraxan Yeates & Lambkin (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Anthracinae) with description of the pupal exuviae of three Thraxan species
FIGURE 3 Thraxan misatulus Yeates & Lambkin. Male Pupal exuvia: (a) dorsal; (b) lateral; (c) head, ventral; (d); head and thorax, ventral; (e) abdominal segments 2 to 4, dorsal; (f) cephalic spines, dorsal; (g) cephalic spines, frontal; (h) cephalic spines, lateral; (i) anal segment, dorsal; (j) anal segment, ventral. Scale bars = 1 mm (c, e–j); = 0.1 mm (a, b, d).
FIGURE 4 in Sand wasp (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) parasites emerging from mud wasp nests (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) - a reliable host record of Thraxan Yeates & Lambkin (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Anthracinae) with description of the pupal exuviae of three Thraxan species
FIGURE 4 (a–c, g–j) Pison simillimum Smith, (e–f) old mud nest, (d, k–l) Thraxan sp.: (a) healthy larva; (b) healthy pupa; (c) parasitised larva; (d) pupa; (e–f) showing Thraxan pupa broken free from the mud nest; (g) larva ventral; (h) larva lateral; (i) pupa ventral; (j) pupa lateral; (k) young pupa lateral; (l) mature pupa lateral.
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.