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Cross-fostering

Replacement of the eggs of one species by those of another (usually closely related), so that the young are reared by the 'wrong' parents. Experiments of this kind throw light on the development of inherited and learned behaviour patterns and the relationships between species. Cross-fostering can also be used in attempts to re-establish a species in an area in which it has become extinct.

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From Peter Weaver's Birdwatcher's Dictionary
Copyright © 1981 by Peter Weaver


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