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Convergent evolution of elaborate nests as structural defences in birds

Street, Sally E.; Jaques, Robert; De Silva, Thilina N.

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Authors

Robert Jaques

Thilina N. De Silva



Abstract

The pendent nests of some weaverbird and icterid species are among the most complex structures built by any animal, but why they have evolved remains to be explained. The precarious attachments and extended entrance tunnels characteristic of these nests are widely speculated to act as structural defences against invasion by nest predators, particularly tree-climbing snakes, but this hypothesis has yet to be systematically tested. We use phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate the relationship between nest structure and developmental period length, a proxy for offspring mortality, in weaverbirds (Ploceidae) and icterids (Icteridae), two bird families in which highly elaborate pendent nests have independently evolved. We find that more elaborate nests, particularly those with entrance tunnels, are associated with longer developmental periods in both families. This finding is robust to potentially confounding effects of body mass, phylogenetic relationships, nest location and latitude. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that elaborate nest structures in birds can function as structural defences, resulting in lower offspring mortality and slower development. More generally, our findings suggest that constructing complex, protective structures may buffer against environmental hazards, reducing extrinsic mortality and contributing to the evolution of slower life histories in diverse animal lineages, even humans.

Citation

Street, S. E., Jaques, R., & De Silva, T. N. (2022). Convergent evolution of elaborate nests as structural defences in birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 289(1989), Article 20221734. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.1734

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 18, 2022
Online Publication Date Dec 21, 2022
Publication Date Dec 21, 2022
Deposit Date Jan 3, 2023
Publicly Available Date Jan 3, 2023
Journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Print ISSN 0962-8452
Electronic ISSN 1471-2954
Publisher The Royal Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 289
Issue 1989
Article Number 20221734
DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.1734
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1182836

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