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Kookaburra chick agression

To:
Subject: Kookaburra chick agression
From: Peter Woodall <>
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 11:05:38 +1000
Hi Steve

I have little detailed knowledge of this, but first off I would
question your assertion that "chances are they all have
different fathers".  I thought that kooks were typical communal
breeders with alpha male & female + helpers. Helpers may
occasionally father chicks but I thought (and may be wrong)
that the majority were from the alpha male [unless the poor
old father is being duped again!]


In this case they all have the same source of genes (with
the normal variability associated with meiosis and fertilization)
and then it is  a matter of survival of the fittest - mediated by
the food supply.

Similar infanticide is regular in some eagles (lay two eggs only
one nestling survives)  although of course they
are not communal breeders and probably have lower percentages
of SF's (sneaky fathers!).

Peter

At 05:14 PM 15/11/2005 -0700, you wrote:
G'day all



On TV last night (ABC - Sex in the Bush) there was discussion of how the first

Kookaburra chick to hatch will try to kill its siblings.



Would it be correct that the eggs hatch in the order they were laid? If so then

the first chick to hatch would be bigger than the others just because it is

older.  What is the evolutionary explanation for this?  What is the guarantee

that the first chick to hatch has the best genes? Given an equal start, one of

the others might have the best genes?  After all, chances are they all have

different fathers.



Am I missing something?



Cheers



Steve Clark

Hamilton, Victoria

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