Entry Six

Continuing the story of Alae and her struggling family in the tale Spero. I would still like comments on this work in progress. It's nowhere near perfect and I like constructive criticism. Bring it on. This is a short one. I haven't posted in a while and I wanted to get something out. I hope that you enjoy this installment of Spero more than the last one which was a little rough around the edges.

Alae stirred fitfully all night on her cot in the main room. Sleep came only in the pitch black hours of the early morning and all too soon a gray haze of light was breaking through the one tiny curtained window above where she slept. The rats were beginning to stir above. Loud clunks sounded as they stumbled around, their hangovers getting the best of them. The door to the basement opened and a sleepy Crash made his way down the stairs. Alae did not raise her head, but pretended to still be asleep, hoping that he might leave her be this time. her hopes were, as usual, baseless.
"Alae," he whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking gently. She heard him stifle a yawn and then resume his jostling.
"Alae, c'mon. Time to get the rats their remedies."
Alae grumbled something unintelligible in protest and shook his hand off.
"Don't give me this today, " Crash groaned. "Last night was not good."
She rolled over reluctantly and glared at the tall man crouching over her.
"When is life ever good?" she growled.
"Are you going to shout the house down like you almost did last night?"
"No..."
"Good. Let's get moving."
He took her arm and pulled until she tumbled hard onto the dirt floor. Coughing in the dust that flew up, she pushed herself to her knees and rose to her feet. She went to the small room that served as their changing area, She looked at her reflection in the dull, cracked mirror. Staring back at her was a girl that she barely knew.
Her complexion was pale from lack of sunlight. Her deep brown eyes were dull and without any feeling or emotion, the skin around them swollen from last nighs tears. Her golden brown hair hung in cropped locks around her ears, kept short in order to maker her appearance less conspicuous to Them should They ever venture to this part of town. She was unhealthily thin. Nourishment was so hard to some by everyday. The had enough to get by, but never enough to satisfy. Below the mirror was a metal basin filled each morning and emptied each night of water. They acquired it from a network of piping that extended up to the bar. Crash had already filled the basin for the day and Alae splashed her face with the cold liquid. She cupped her hands and poured the gathered liquid over her head rubbing vigorously to get as much of the smoke smell from last night out.
"Alae, C'mon!" Crash called down.
"Coming," Alae muttered under her breath. She made her way to her parents room that was directly adjacent to the changing area. Her father and older brother had long since left for their shift at one of the weapons production facilities. Her mother was no longer asleep. She was on her knees next the the floor mat that was their bed. Her mouth moved fervently in a silent prayer. Alae's heart filled with bitterness as she thought of how that prayer would not be answered. She backed silently out of the room and continued on her morning routine. At the north end of the basement was a room that had been built by excess plywood that Crash has managed to acquire for some minor renovations years ago. It was just large enough for the two boys to live in. Christian slept alone on one of the mats. In his hand was clutched one of the flyer's from last night. Under his pillow Alae could see a section of paper on which was written a coded version of the flyer's words. As angry as she had been last night, Alae admired her brother for keeping up such a strong sense of hope. It was all that kept him going. She could see from the redness around his eyes that he had cried last night as well. She crouched down beside his sleeping form and gently rested her hand on his head. He stirred ever so slightly. Alae sighed.
"I love you little brother," she whispered in the fading dark, then rose and tiptoed out of the room. Crash was wasting for her at the foot of the stairs directly across the room. On his face was a strange look. A mix between pity and admiration. Alae took several long strides and was at the stairs passing him to ascend.
"I don't know how you go on every day like this." He murmured.
"The same way you and everyone else does. Survival."
Crash shook his head sadly.
"Someday this will all be better."
"Yeah," Alae spat with as much sarcasm as she could muster, grasping the door handle to the bar hard. "Someday..."

Entry Five

A small taste of what I will probably have to do a lot of in my coming career. The first draft of this paper was not pretty and about an almost completely different topic. I actually found that I had fun researching this new topic. I never thought I would find birds interesting. The next entry will be another installment of Spero for all you avid readers out there. Psh...yeah

Bringing the Family Together: A look at Conspecific Brood Parasitism and Relatedness

Conspecific brood parasitism(CBP) is a custom practiced by many avian species. In this form of brood parasitism, a female will lay her eggs in the nest of a female of the same species and often in the nest of a host related to her. Extensive research has been done concerning this habit and it’s effect on the fitness of the species that practice it. CPB is often described as a “game” in that often, the parasitic individual will find that she has in turn been the victim of parasitism. All this in the name of increasing reproductive success. CBP has a more important role in the evolution of nest size than was previously believed (Lyon, 1998). In some cases, this practice has a positive effect on fitness (Andersson, 2001). The success and evolution of conspecific brood parasitism is closely related to the kinship of the host and parasite. It is also important to realize that CBP my not be a form of parasitism at all, but cooperation between related individuals (Dickinson, 2007).

CBP is most commonly found practiced in the order Anseriformes due to the nature of their precocial young and the decreased cost of parenting (Dugger, 2001). There are many costs to be taken into account when looking into parasitic species. Most of the time the addition of eggs to a nest has a negative effect on the success of the host female. In these precocial species this is not always true. Several species have shown that an increase in nest size has no negative effect on offspring survival and in some cases has actually aided it (Lopez, 2002). If a female is able to incubate more eggs with a somewhat minimal cost to her own health, then increased clutch size increases the chances for survival. Predators may take one or two eggs, but there are still 2-3 more that survive. In some species the host will strategically place the parasite eggs on the outside of the nest so that they are more easily accessed by predators. The parasite eggs act as a kind of buffer, keeping the hosts own eggs safe. This is a cost to the parasite and a risk that it takes in laying its eggs in another nest.

Because many water-fowl return to the place of their birth to nest, many of the individuals in the nesting site may be related. Relatedness is an important factor when considering CBP in these species. Host females are more likely to accept young from a parasitic individual closely related to them. An intricate cost-benefit analysis between the host parasite must be followed for there to be any positive effect on either ones fitness (Lyon, 1998). While a host female appears able to support parasitic young, a related parasite would do better to lay her eggs in that nest. That way there is a better chance for both to benefit. The host has that added padding of young that are not her own to soften the blow if she were to lose one. The parasite benefits if all the young are successfully reared. This cooperation of related individuals is what makes CBP a beneficial practice. There is a potential for increased fitness for both parasite and host. This is observed more in precocial species not only because the need for parental care decreases after hatching but because offspring competition also decreases. This increases the probability that a host will be able to take on more eggs than just her own.

Another important factor in evaluating this kin-based parasitic relationship is the individuals ability to detect a relation. This ability decreases as the distance between the relatedness increases. If a parasite will gain no benefit from laying an egg in the nest of a relative if that relative is not going to recognize the egg as kin. A parasite will suffer a direct cost if she lays her egg in the nest of a relative and the relative is unable to recognize the egg. The host will more than likely eject the egg even if there is some amount of gain received from accepting it (Lopez, 2002).

In evaluating conspecific brood parasitism and its relationship to kin-based cooperation, the word “parasitism” seems to be somewhat false. For the parasitic individual to gain the most benefit, there should be cooperation from both sides. In typical parasitism, one individual gains a benefit at the cost of the host. In many cases, whether eggs were intentionally kept by the host or not, the host gains at least some benefit to fitness in indirect ways. Evidence supporting the benefits of CBP is not altogether convincing. In some species there is no cost suffered or benefit gained. The individuals accept the parasitic eggs and their success does not increase or decrease (Dugger, 2001). Further research may support the idea that CBP is in fact be a twisted for of symbiosis with the two individuals working only for their own benefit but helping the other in their attempts at success.

Research and References

Andersson, Malte and Peter Waldeck. 2007. Host-parasite kinship in a female-philopatric bird population: evidence from relatedness trend analysis. Molecular Ecology 16.13. 2797-2806.

Andersson, Malte. 2001. Relatedness and the Evolution of Conspecific Brood Parasitism. American Naturalist 158.6. 599-615.

Dickinson, Janis L. 2007. Decoding dumping ducks. Molecular Ecology 16.13. 2621-2612.

Dugger, Bruce and Peter Blums. 2001. Effect of Conspecific Brood Parasitism on Host Fitness for Tufted Duck and Common Pochard. Auk 118.3. 717-727.

Lopez-Sepulcre, Andres and Hanna Kokko. 2002. The Role of Kin Recognition in the Evolution of Conspecific Brood Parasitism. Animal Behavior 64.2. 215-223.

Lyon, B.E., W.M. Hochachka and J.M. Eadie. 2002. Paternity-Parasitism Trade-Offs: A Model and Tedt of Host-Parasite Cooperation in an Avian Conspecific Brood Parasite. Evolution 56.6. 1253-1266.

Lyon, B.E. 1998. Optimal Clutch Size and Conspecific Brood Parasitism. Nature 392.6674. 380-383.