• Animal cells and systems
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.211-213
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• 2005

In bird species that suffer brood parasitism, the question about which sex is responsible for egg rejection has important implications for determining the coevolutionary relationship between brood parasites and their hosts. In order to determine which sex rejects a parasitic egg in vinous-throated parrotbills (Paradoxornis webbianus) which have egg color dimorphism, we conducted model egg experiments and video-recorded the behavior of the focal pair. Both sexes showed rejection behavior to the parasitic eggs. It indicates that the vinous-throated parrotbill may have a high rejection rate and faster spread of any rejection alleles through out populations. However, further studies are still needed to confirm the egg recognition mechanism in this species, which will expand our knowledge of the evolutionary relationship between host and parasite.