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Content with tag shorebirds .

How to share parental care

The behavioural rhythms of organisms are thought to be under strong selection, influenced by the rhythmicity of the environment. Such behavioural rhythms are well studied in isolated individuals under laboratory conditions, but free-living individuals have to temporally synchronize their activities with those of others, including potential mates, competitors, prey and predators. The behavioural rhythms that emerge from social synchronization and the underlying evolutionary and ecological...

Trade-off on shorebird eggshell colouration

In ground-nesting birds egg colour and appearance may have evolved due to opposite selection pressures. Pigmentation and spottiness make the eggs darker and have been suggested to improve camouflage. However these eggs may reach higher temperatures, which may be lethal for embryos. Some authors suggested that this trade-off may not exist. In this study the occurrence of a trade-off between camouflage and overheating of eggs is tested.