Winfree R
Trends Ecol Evol. 1999 Sep;14(9):338-343. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5347(99)01643-2.
Brood parasites provide a particularly good opportunity for the study of host-parasite evolution because they directly affect the reproductive success of their hosts. Two parasitic species, the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) and the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), differ widely in their relationships with their hosts, yet share the attribute of having been particularly well studied by biologists. Recent work on the cuckoo and the cowbird has resulted in new answers to the question begged by all brood parasites: why do host species raise parasitic young?
巢寄生者为研究宿主与寄生虫的进化提供了一个特别好的机会，因为它们直接影响宿主的繁殖成功率。两种寄生鸟类，普通杜鹃（大杜鹃）和褐头牛鹂，在与宿主的关系上有很大差异，但都具有被生物学家深入研究的特点。最近对杜鹃和牛鹂的研究为所有巢寄生者都想问的问题带来了新的答案：宿主物种为什么会抚养寄生的幼鸟？
