1
|
Sepers B, Verhoeven KJF, van Oers K. Early developmental carry-over effects on exploratory behaviour and DNA methylation in wild great tits ( Parus major). Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13664. [PMID: 38487391 PMCID: PMC10937296 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Adverse, postnatal conditions experienced during development are known to induce lingering effects on morphology, behaviour, reproduction and survival. Despite the importance of early developmental stress for shaping the adult phenotype, it is largely unknown which molecular mechanisms allow for the induction and maintenance of such phenotypic effects once the early environmental conditions are released. Here we aimed to investigate whether lasting early developmental phenotypic changes are associated with post-developmental DNA methylation changes. We used a cross-foster and brood size experiment in great tit (Parus major) nestlings, which induced post-fledging effects on biometric measures and exploratory behaviour, a validated personality trait. We investigated whether these post-fledging effects are associated with DNA methylation levels of CpG sites in erythrocyte DNA. Individuals raised in enlarged broods caught up on their developmental delay after reaching independence and became more explorative as days since fledging passed, while the exploratory scores of individuals that were raised in reduced broods remained stable. Although we previously found that brood enlargement hardly affected the pre-fledging methylation levels, we found 420 CpG sites that were differentially methylated between fledged individuals that were raised in small versus large sized broods. A considerable number of the affected CpG sites were located in or near genes involved in metabolism, growth, behaviour and cognition. Since the biological functions of these genes line up with the observed post-fledging phenotypic effects of brood size, our results suggest that DNA methylation provides organisms the opportunity to modulate their condition once the environmental conditions allow it. In conclusion, this study shows that nutritional stress imposed by enlarged brood size during early development associates with variation in DNA methylation later in life. We propose that treatment-associated DNA methylation differences may arise in relation to pre- or post-fledging phenotypic changes, rather than that they are directly induced by the environment during early development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bernice Sepers
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology GroupWageningen University & Research (WUR)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Department of Animal BehaviourBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Koen J. F. Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology GroupWageningen University & Research (WUR)WageningenThe Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Benowitz-Fredericks ZM, Lacey LM, Whelan S, Will AP, Hatch SA, Kitaysky AS. Telomere length correlates with physiological and behavioural responses of a long-lived seabird to an ecologically relevant challenge. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220139. [PMID: 35858061 PMCID: PMC9277278 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Determinants of individual variation in reallocation of limited resources towards self-maintenance versus reproduction are not well known. We tested the hypothesis that individual heterogeneity in long-term 'somatic state' (i) explains variation in endocrine and behavioural responses to environmental challenges, and (ii) is associated with variation in strategies for allocating to self-maintenance versus reproduction. We used relative telomere length as an indicator of somatic state and experimentally generated an abrupt short-term reduction of food availability (withdrawal of food supplementation) for free-living seabirds (black-legged kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla). Incubating male kittiwakes responded to withdrawal by increasing circulating corticosterone and losing more weight compared to continuously supplemented controls. Males with longer telomeres increased time in directed travel regardless of treatment, while experiencing smaller increases in corticosterone. Males with longer telomeres fledged more chicks in the control group and tended to be more likely to return regardless of treatment. This study supports the hypothesis that somatic state can explain variation in short-term physiological and behavioural responses to challenges, and longer-term consequences for fitness. Male kittiwakes with longer telomeres appear to have prioritized investment in self over investment in offspring under challenging conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - L. M. Lacey
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA
| | - S. Whelan
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - A. P. Will
- Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA,Bioscience Group, National Institute of Polar Research Japan, 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - S. A. Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - A. S. Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Williams CT, Chmura HE, Deal CK, Wilsterman K. Sex-differences in Phenology: A Tinbergian Perspective. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:980-997. [PMID: 35587379 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Shifts in the timing of cyclic seasonal life-history events are among the most commonly reported responses to climate change, with differences in response rates among interacting species leading to phenological mismatches. Within a species, however, males and females can also exhibit differential sensitivity to environmental cues and may therefore differ in their responsiveness to climate change, potentially leading to phenological mismatches between the sexes. This occurs because males differ from females in when and how energy is allocated to reproduction, resulting in marked sex-differences in life-history timing across the annual cycle. In this review, we take a Tinbergian perspective and examine sex differences in timing of vertebrates from adaptive, ontogenetic, mechanistic, and phylogenetic viewpoints with the goal of informing and motivating more integrative research on sexually dimorphic phenologies. We argue that sexual and natural selection lead to sex-differences in life-history-timing and that understanding the ecological and evolutionary drivers of these differences is critical for connecting climate-driven phenological shifts to population resilience. Ontogeny may influence how and when sex differences in life-history timing arise because the early-life environment can profoundly affect developmental trajectory, rates of reproductive maturation, and seasonal timing. The molecular mechanisms underlying these organismal traits are relevant to identifying the diversity and genetic basis of population- and species-level responses to climate change, and promisingly, the molecular basis of phenology is becoming increasingly well-understood. However, because most studies focus on a single sex, the causes of sex-differences in phenology critical to population resilience often remain unclear. New sequencing tools and analyses informed by phylogeny may help generate hypotheses about mechanism as well as insight into the general "evolvability" of sex differences across phylogenetic scales, especially as trait and genome resources grow. We recommend that greater attention be placed on determining sex-differences in timing mechanisms and monitoring climate change responses in both sexes, and we discuss how new tools may provide key insights into sex-differences in phenology from all four Tinbergian domains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cory T Williams
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Helen E Chmura
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.,Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Forest Service, 800 E. Beckwith Ave, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - Cole K Deal
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Kathryn Wilsterman
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Accelerated reproduction is not an adaptive response to early-life adversity in wild baboons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:24909-24919. [PMID: 32958642 PMCID: PMC7547275 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2004018117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans and other long-lived species, harsh conditions in early life often lead to profound differences in adult life expectancy. In response, natural selection is expected to accelerate the timing and pace of reproduction in individuals who experience some forms of early-life adversity. However, the adaptive benefits of reproductive acceleration following early adversity remain untested. Here, we test a recent version of this theory, the internal predictive adaptive response (iPAR) model, by assessing whether accelerating reproduction following early-life adversity leads to higher lifetime reproductive success. We do so by leveraging 48 y of continuous, individual-based data from wild female baboons in the Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya, including prospective, longitudinal data on multiple sources of nutritional and psychosocial adversity in early life; reproductive pace; and lifetime reproductive success. We find that while early-life adversity led to dramatically shorter lifespans, individuals who experienced early adversity did not accelerate their reproduction compared with those who did not experience early adversity. Further, while accelerated reproduction predicted increased lifetime reproductive success overall, these benefits were not specific to females who experienced early-life adversity. Instead, females only benefited from reproductive acceleration if they also led long lives. Our results call into question the theory that accelerated reproduction is an adaptive response to both nutritional and psychosocial sources of early-life adversity in baboons and other long-lived species.
Collapse
|
5
|
Pineaux M, Merkling T, Danchin E, Hatch S, Duneau D, Blanchard P, Leclaire S. Sex and hatching order modulate the association between MHC-II diversity and fitness in early-life stages of a wild seabird. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3316-3329. [PMID: 32654215 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play a pivotal role in parasite resistance, and their allelic diversity has been associated with fitness variations in several taxa. However, studies report inconsistencies in the direction of this association, with either positive, quadratic or no association being described. These discrepancies may arise because the fitness costs and benefits of MHC diversity differ among individuals depending on their exposure and immune responses to parasites. Here, we investigated in black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) chicks whether associations between MHC class-II diversity and fitness vary with sex and hatching order. MHC-II diversity was positively associated with growth and tick clearance in female chicks, but not in male chicks. Our data also revealed a positive association between MHC-II diversity and survival in second-hatched female chicks (two eggs being the typical clutch size). These findings may result from condition-dependent parasite infections differentially impacting sexes in relation to hatching order. We thus suggest that it may be important to account for individual heterogeneities in traits that potentially exert selective pressures on MHC diversity in order to properly predict MHC-fitness associations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Pineaux
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), CNRS, IRD, Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Thomas Merkling
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), CNRS, IRD, Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Etienne Danchin
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), CNRS, IRD, Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Scott Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - David Duneau
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), CNRS, IRD, Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Pierrick Blanchard
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), CNRS, IRD, Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Sarah Leclaire
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), CNRS, IRD, Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Merkling T, Hatch SA, Leclaire S, Danchin E, Blanchard P. Offspring sex-ratio and environmental conditions in a seabird with sex-specific rearing costs: a long-term experimental approach. Evol Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-019-09983-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
|
7
|
Young RC, Welcker J, Barger CP, Hatch SA, Merkling T, Kitaiskaia EV, Haussmann MF, Kitaysky AS. Effects of developmental conditions on growth, stress and telomeres in black-legged kittiwake chicks. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3572-3584. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C. Young
- Instituto de Ecología; UNAM; Ciudad Universitaria; Ciudad de México México
| | - Jorg Welcker
- Institute of Arctic Biology; Department of Biology and Wildlife; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK USA
| | - Christopher P. Barger
- Institute of Arctic Biology; Department of Biology and Wildlife; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK USA
| | - Scott A. Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation; Anchorage AK USA
| | - Thomas Merkling
- Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier; CNRS; ENFA; UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique); Toulouse France
| | - Evgenia V. Kitaiskaia
- Institute of Arctic Biology; Department of Biology and Wildlife; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK USA
| | | | - Alexander S. Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology; Department of Biology and Wildlife; University of Alaska Fairbanks; Fairbanks AK USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Merkling T, Perrot C, Helfenstein F, Ferdy JB, Gaillard L, Lefol E, Voisin E, Hatch SA, Danchin E, Blanchard P. Maternal effects as drivers of sibling competition in a parent-offspring conflict context? An experimental test. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3699-3710. [PMID: 28725354 PMCID: PMC5513303 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects occur when the mother's phenotype influences her offspring's phenotype. In birds, differential allocation in egg yolk components can allow mothers to compensate for the competitive disadvantage of junior chicks. We hypothesize that the parent-older chick conflict peaks at intermediate conditions: parents benefit from the younger chick(s) survival, but its death benefits the older chick in terms of growth and survival. We thus expect maternal compensation to follow a bell-shaped pattern in relation to environmental conditions. We studied a black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) population where previous results revealed increased allocation of yolk testosterone in younger as compared to older chicks in intermediate conditions, in line with our theoretical framework. We therefore predicted a maternally induced increase in aggressiveness, growth, and survival for younger chicks born in intermediate environmental conditions. Controlling for parental effects and chick sex, we manipulated food availability before egg laying to create a situation with intermediate (Unfed group) and good (Fed group) environmental conditions. Within each feeding treatment, we further created experimental broods where the natural hatching order was reversed to maximize our chances to observe an effect of feeding treatment on the younger chicks' aggressiveness. As predicted, we found that chick aggressiveness was higher in younger chicks born from the Unfed group (i.e., in intermediate environmental conditions), but only when they were put in a senior position, in reversed broods. Predictions on growth and survival were not confirmed. Mothers thus seem to favor the competitiveness of their younger chick in intermediate conditions via egg yolk components, but our study also suggests that hatching asynchrony need to be small for maternal compensation to be efficient. We emphasize the need for further studies investigating other chick behaviors (e.g., begging) and focusing on the relative role of different yolk components in shaping parent-offspring conflict over sibling competition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Merkling
- CNRS ENFA UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique) Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier 118 route de Narbonne F-31062 Toulouse France
| | - Charlotte Perrot
- CNRS ENFA UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique) Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier 118 route de Narbonne F-31062 Toulouse France.,Present address: CEFE UMR 5175 CNR SEPHE Université de Montpellier Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 1919 Route de Mende 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5 France.,Present address: Centre de recherche de La Tour du ValatLe Sambuc 13200 Arles France
| | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Institute of Biology University of Neuchâtel Rue Emile-Argand 11CH-2000 Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Ferdy
- CNRS ENFA UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique) Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier 118 route de Narbonne F-31062 Toulouse France
| | - Laurent Gaillard
- CNRS ENFA UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique) Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier 118 route de Narbonne F-31062 Toulouse France
| | - Emilie Lefol
- CNRS ENFA UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique) Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier 118 route de Narbonne F-31062 Toulouse France
| | - Emmanuelle Voisin
- CNRS ENFA UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique) Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier 118 route de Narbonne F-31062 Toulouse France
| | - Scott A Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation 12850 Mountain Place Anchorage Alaska 99516
| | - Etienne Danchin
- CNRS ENFA UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique) Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier 118 route de Narbonne F-31062 Toulouse France
| | - Pierrick Blanchard
- CNRS ENFA UMR 5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique) Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier 118 route de Narbonne F-31062 Toulouse France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Vincenzi S, Hatch S, Merkling T, Kitaysky AS. Carry-over effects of food supplementation on recruitment and breeding performance of long-lived seabirds. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150762. [PMID: 26180065 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Supplementation of food to wild animals is extensively applied as a conservation tool to increase local production of young. However, in long-lived migratory animals, the carry-over effects of food supplementation early in life on the subsequent recruitment of individuals into natal populations and their lifetime reproductive success are largely unknown. We examine how experimental food supplementation early in life affects: (i) recruitment as breeders of kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla born in a colony on Middleton Island (Alaska) between 1996 and 2006 (n = 1629) that bred in the same colony through 2013 (n = 235); and (ii) breeding success of individuals that have completed their life cycle at the colony (n = 56). Birds were raised in nests that were either supplemented with food (Fed) or unsupplemented (Unfed). Fledging success was higher in Fed compared with Unfed nests. After accounting for hatching rank, growth and oceanic conditions at fledging, Fed fledglings had a lower probability of recruiting as breeders in the Middleton colony than Unfed birds. The per-nest contribution of breeders was still significantly higher for Fed nests because of their higher productivity. Lifetime reproductive success of a subset of kittiwakes that thus far had completed their life cycle was not affected by the food supplementation during development. Our results cast light on the carry-over effects of early food conditions on the vital rates of long-lived animals and support food supplementation as an effective conservation strategy for long-lived seabirds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Vincenzi
- Center for Stock Assessment Research, University of California Santa Cruz, 110 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, Milan 20133, Italy Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 902 North Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Scott Hatch
- US Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, 12850 Mountain Place, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA
| | - Thomas Merkling
- EDB (Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique), CNRS, UPS, ENFA, 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France UMR5174, Université de Toulouse, 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - Alexander S Kitaysky
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 902 North Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Merkling T, Welcker J, Hewison AM, Hatch SA, Kitaysky AS, Speakman JR, Danchin E, Blanchard P. Identifying the selective pressures underlying offspring sex-ratio adjustments: a case study in a wild seabird. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
11
|
Romero-Haro AA, Canelo T, Alonso-Alvarez C. Early development conditions and the oxidative cost of social context in adulthood: an experimental study in birds. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
|
12
|
Elliott KH, O'Reilly KM, Hatch SA, Gaston AJ, Hare JF, Anderson WG. The prudent parent meets old age: a high stress response in very old seabirds supports the terminal restraint hypothesis. Horm Behav 2014; 66:828-37. [PMID: 25448533 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The reproductive success of wild animals usually increases with age before declining at the end of life, but the proximate mechanisms underlying those patterns remain elusive. Young animals are expected to invest less in current reproduction due to high prospects for future reproduction (the "restraint" hypothesis). The oldest animals may also show restraint when conditions are sub-optimal where even a small increase in reproductive investment may lead to death ("terminal restraint"). Alternatively, reproduction may be constrained by lack of experience and senescence (the "constraint" hypothesis). In two species of breeding seabirds, behavioural (time to return the offspring, calmness during restraint) and physiological (metabolism, glucose and corticosterone) parameters responded similarly to stress with advancing age, implying a generalized stress response. Across those parameters, birds were "shy" (high stress response) when young or old, and "bold" (low stress response) when middle-aged. Specifically, free corticosterone, the principal avian glucocorticoid responsible for directing energy away from reproduction and towards immediate survival following stress, was highest in both young and very old stressed birds. All age groups had a similar adrenal capacity to produce corticosterone, implying that middle-aged birds were showing restraint. Because the stress response, was highest at ages when the probability of current reproduction was lowest rather than at ages when the probability of future reproduction was highest we concluded that birds restrained reproductive investment based on current conditions rather than potential future opportunities. In particular, old birds showed terminal restraint when stressed. Hormonal cues promoted investment in adult survival over reproductive output at both the start and end of life consistent with the restraint hypothesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | | | - Scott A Hatch
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Anthony J Gaston
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - James F Hare
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - W Gary Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Elliott KH, Chivers LS, Bessey L, Gaston AJ, Hatch SA, Kato A, Osborne O, Ropert-Coudert Y, Speakman JR, Hare JF. Windscapes shape seabird instantaneous energy costs but adult behavior buffers impact on offspring. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2014; 2:17. [PMID: 26019870 PMCID: PMC4445632 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-014-0017-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Windscapes affect energy costs for flying animals, but animals can adjust their behavior to accommodate wind-induced energy costs. Theory predicts that flying animals should decrease air speed to compensate for increased tailwind speed and increase air speed to compensate for increased crosswind speed. In addition, animals are expected to vary their foraging effort in time and space to maximize energy efficiency across variable windscapes. RESULTS We examined the influence of wind on seabird (thick-billed murre Uria lomvia and black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla) foraging behavior. Airspeed and mechanical flight costs (dynamic body acceleration and wing beat frequency) increased with headwind speed during commuting flights. As predicted, birds adjusted their airspeed to compensate for crosswinds and to reduce the effect of a headwind, but they could not completely compensate for the latter. As we were able to account for the effect of sampling frequency and wind speed, we accurately estimated commuting flight speed with no wind as 16.6 ms(?1) (murres) and 10.6 ms(?1) (kittiwakes). High winds decreased delivery rates of schooling fish (murres), energy (murres) and food (kittiwakes) but did not impact daily energy expenditure or chick growth rates. During high winds, murres switched from feeding their offspring with schooling fish, which required substantial above-water searching, to amphipods, which required less above-water searching. CONCLUSIONS Adults buffered the adverse effect of high winds on chick growth rates by switching to other food sources during windy days or increasing food delivery rates when weather improved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Hamish Elliott
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3T 2N2, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | - Lauren Bessey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3T 2N2, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Anthony J Gaston
- Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa K1A 0H3, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott A Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Akiko Kato
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg 67087, France
- CNRS, UMR7178, Strasbourg 67087, France
| | - Orla Osborne
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg 67087, France
- CNRS, UMR7178, Strasbourg 67087, France
| | - John R Speakman
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 West Beichen Road, Chaoyang, Beijing, CN-100101, PR China
| | - James F Hare
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3T 2N2, Manitoba, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Careau V, Buttemer WA, Buchanan KL. Early-Developmental Stress, Repeatability, and Canalization in a Suite of Physiological and Behavioral Traits in Female Zebra Finches. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:539-54. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
15
|
Schultner J, Kitaysky AS, Gabrielsen GW, Hatch SA, Bech C. Differential reproductive responses to stress reveal the role of life-history strategies within a species. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20132090. [PMID: 24089339 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history strategies describe that 'slow'- in contrast to 'fast'-living species allocate resources cautiously towards reproduction to enhance survival. Recent evidence suggests that variation in strategies exists not only among species but also among populations of the same species. Here, we examined the effect of experimentally induced stress on resource allocation of breeding seabirds in two populations with contrasting life-history strategies: slow-living Pacific and fast-living Atlantic black-legged kittiwakes. We tested the hypothesis that reproductive responses in kittiwakes under stress reflect their life-history strategies. We predicted that in response to stress, Pacific kittiwakes reduce investment in reproduction compared with Atlantic kittiwakes. We exposed chick-rearing kittiwakes to a short-term (3-day) period of increased exogenous corticosterone (CORT), a hormone that is released during food shortages. We examined changes in baseline CORT levels, parental care and effects on offspring. We found that kittiwakes from the two populations invested differently in offspring when facing stress. In response to elevated CORT, Pacific kittiwakes reduced nest attendance and deserted offspring more readily than Atlantic kittiwakes. We observed lower chick growth, a higher stress response in offspring and lower reproductive success in response to CORT implantation in Pacific kittiwakes, whereas the opposite occurred in the Atlantic. Our findings support the hypothesis that life-history strategies predict short-term responses of individuals to stress within a species. We conclude that behaviour and physiology under stress are consistent with trade-off priorities as predicted by life-history theory. We encourage future studies to consider the pivotal role of life-history strategies when interpreting inter-population differences of animal responses to stressful environmental events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Schultner
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, , Trondheim, Norway, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, , Fairbanks, AK, USA, Norwegian Polar Institute, , Tromsø, Norway, US Geological Survey, Anchorage Science Center, , Anchorage, AK, USA, Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, , Anchorage, AK, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|