Justin Merondun, Cristiana I Marques, Pedro Andrade, Swetlana Meshcheryagina, Ismael Galván, Sandra Afonso, Joel M Alves, Pedro M Araújo, Gennadiy Bachurin, Jennifer Balacco, Miklós Bán, Olivier Fedrigo, Giulio Formenti, Frode Fossøy, Attila Fülöp, Mikhail Golovatin, Sofia Granja, Chris Hewson, Marcel Honza, Kerstin Howe, Greger Larson, Attila Marton, Csaba Moskát, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Petr Procházka, Yaroslav Red'kin, Ying Sims, Michal Šulc, Alan Tracey, Jonathan M D Wood, Erich D Jarvis, Mark E Hauber, Miguel Carneiro, Jochen B W Wolf
Sex-limited polymorphism has evolved in many species including our own. Yet, we lack a detailed understanding of the underlying genetic variation and evolutionary processes at work. The brood parasitic common cuckoo ( Cuculus canorus ) is a prime example of female-limited color polymorphism, where adult males are monochromatic gray and females exhibit either gray or rufous plumage. This polymorphism has been hypothesized to be governed by negative frequency-dependent selection whereby the rarer female morph is protected against harassment by males or from mobbing by parasitized host species...
April 26, 2024: Science Advances