MALE dotterels are better fathers than they’ve been given credit for. Eggs
from the endangered bird found cold and apparently abandoned in harsh weather
are in fact safe and sound, and can survive until their parent returns.
The dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) is a plover that breeds in
alpine and arctic habitats in Europe and as far east as Siberia. The female
mates, lays her eggs and then flies off to mate again, leaving the male to
incubate the eggs.
Now researchers in Scotland have discovered that dotterel embryos have an
unexpected ability to survive frequent exposure to the cold and…
