Laboratoire de Parasitologie Evolutive
CNRS UMR 7103
Université Pierre et Marie Curie
Bât. A, 7ème étage
7 quai St. Bernard, Case 237
F-75252 Paris Cedex 5
France
Tel: ++ 33 1 44 27 25 94
Fax: ++ 33 1 44 27 35 16
Email: amoller@snv.jussieu.fr
Stage M2
Parasitism and offspring begging signals
Offspring often display exaggerated visual or vocal signals to their parents, and parents respond
to individual variation in such displays by allocation of parental care (Wright and Leonard 2002).
Offspring signals appear to reliably reveal the phenotypic quality of offspring as shown by several
experiments (Saino et al. 2000, 2002b). Parasitism strongly affects the expression of offspring
signals by making offspring less attractive. However, little is known about the role of such signals
as predictors of viability and hence fitness.
I propose a M2 project that investigates intraspecific and interspecific variation in signals:
1. What are the determinants of individual variation in signals?
1. Disease. Offspring with a challenged immune system have less brightly colored gapes than
controls (Saino et al. 2000). To which extent does natural variation in gape color reflect
parasitism? How are different components of the immune system reflected in signal design?
2. Inbreeding. Several studies have suggested that females mate with males that result in the
production of more heterozygous offspring. Furthermore, inbred individuals generally have weak
immune systems. Do begging signals reflect level of inbreeding?
3. Multiple signals. Nestlings have brightly colored gapes and external edges of the gape, brightly
colored plumage and give begging calls. Why are there so many signals, and what do they reveal?
2. What are the determinants of interspecific variation in begging signals?
There is huge interspecific variation in begging signals, but little is known about the factors
determining such variation. Does interspecific variation in gape coloration reflect variation in sib
competition, maternal effects or impact of parasitism on offspring viability?
Model systems: Great tits Parus major, blue tits Parus caeruleus or barn swallows Hirundo
rustica..
Existing populations of the three species are available in France, Spain, or Ukraine.
Possibility for a PhD project if funding is available.
References:
Saino, N. and Møller, A. P. 2002a. Immunity and begging. In: J. Wright and M. Leonard (eds.).
Evolution of nestling begging. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 245-267.
Saino, N., Ninni, P., Calza, S., Martinelli, R., De Bernardi, F. and Møller, A. P. 2000. Better red
than dead: Carotenoid-based mouth coloration reveals infection in barn swallow nestlings.
Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 267:57-61.
Saino, N., Incagli, M., Ambrosini, R., Martinelli, R., Ninni, P. and Møller, A. P. 2002b. Gape
coloration reliably reflects condition and immunocompetence of barn swallow (Hirundo
rustica) nestlings. Behav. Ecol. 14:16-22.
Wright, J. and Leonard, M. (eds.). 2002. Evolution of nestling begging. Kluwer Academic
Publishers, Dordrecht.
Anders Pape Møller (DR1)