Re: Mammalian success and egg predation,

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.NCR.COM>]

 From: Andrew Howey <ajhowey@ix.netcom.com>

 > For that matter, why haven't all the small songbirds, who's nests
 > are parasitized by cuckoos, been driven into extinction. ...

I recently read an article about this very issue. (I wish I could
remember where).

It seems there is an odd co-evolutionary dance between cuckoos and their
hosts.  The cuckoos continually evolve better trickery, and the host
continually evolve to counteract that.  There may also be a certain
amount of host switching - to host that are less disciminating.
(Which of course relieves selection on the original primary host, 
so it can lose its discrimination again - around and around in circles).

swf@elsegundoca.ncr.com         sarima@ix.netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.