1
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Benowitz-Fredericks ZM, Will AP, Pete SN, Whelan S, Kitaysky AS. Corticosterone release in very young siblicidal seabird chicks (Rissa tridactyla) is sensitive to environmental variability and responds rapidly and robustly to external challenges. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 355:114545. [PMID: 38701975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
In birds, patterns of development of the adrenocortical response to stressors vary among individuals, types of stressors, and species. Since there are benefits and costs of exposure to elevated glucocorticoids, this variation is presumably a product of selection such that animals modulate glucocorticoid secretion in contexts where doing so increases their fitness. In this study, we evaluated hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity in first-hatched free-living seabird nestlings that engage in intense sibling competition and facultative siblicide (black-legged kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla). We sampled 5 day old chicks (of the ∼45 day nestling period), a critical early age when food availability drives establishment of important parent-offspring and intra-brood dynamics. We experimentally supplemented parents with food ("supplemented") and measured chick baseline corticosterone secretion and capacity to rapidly increase corticosterone in response to an acute challenge (handling and 15 min of restraint in a bag). We also used topical administration of corticosterone to evaluate the ability of chicks to downregulate physiologically relevant corticosterone levels on a short time scale (minutes). We found that 5 day old chicks are not hypo-responsive but release corticosterone in proportion to the magnitude of the challenge, showing differences in baseline between parental feeding treatments (supplemented vs non-supplemented), moderate increases in response to handling, and a larger response to restraint (comparable to adults) that also differed between chicks from supplemented and control nests. Topical application of exogenous corticosterone increased circulating levels nearly to restraint-induced levels and induced downregulation of HPA responsiveness to the acute challenge of handling. Parental supplemental feeding did not affect absorbance/clearance or negative feedback. Thus, while endogenous secretion of corticosterone in young chicks is sensitive to environmental context, other aspects of the HPA function, such as rapid negative feedback and/or the ability to clear acute elevations in corticosterone, are not. We conclude that 5 day old kittiwake chicks are capable of robust adrenocortical responses to novel challenges, and are sensitive to parental food availability, which may be transduced behaviorally, nutritionally, or via maternal effects. Questions remain about the function of such rapid, large acute stress-induced increases in corticosterone in very young chicks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A P Will
- World Wildlife Fund, US Arctic Program, United States; University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, United States
| | - S N Pete
- Bucknell University, Department of Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, United States
| | - S Whelan
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, United States
| | - A S Kitaysky
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, United States
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2
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Jouanneau W, Léandri-Breton DJ, Herzke D, Moe B, Nikiforov VA, Pallud M, Parenteau C, Gabrielsen GW, Chastel O. Does contaminant exposure disrupt maternal hormones deposition? A study on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in an Arctic seabird. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 868:161413. [PMID: 36621503 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Maternal effects are thought to be essential tools for females to modulate offspring development. The selective deposition of avian maternal hormones could therefore allow females to strategically adjust the phenotype of their offspring to the environmental situation encountered. However, at the time of egg formation, several contaminants are also transferred to the egg, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which are ubiquitous organic contaminants with endocrine disrupting properties. It is, however, unknown if they can disrupt maternal hormone deposition. In this study we explored relationships between female PFAS burden and maternal deposition in the eggs of steroids (dihydrotestosterone, androstenedione and testosterone), glucocorticoids (corticosterone) and thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine and thyroxine) in a population of the Arctic-breeding black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla). Egg yolk hormone levels were unrelated to female hormone plasma levels. Second-laid eggs had significantly lower concentrations of androstenedione than first-laid eggs. Triiodothyronine yolk levels were decreasing with increasing egg mass but increasing with increasing females' body condition. Testosterone was the only transferred yolk hormone correlated to maternal PFAS burden: specifically, we found a positive correlation between testosterone in yolks and circulating maternal perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDcA) and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA) in first-laid eggs. This correlative study provides a first insight into the potential of some long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids to disrupt maternal hormones deposition in eggs and raises the question about the consequences of increased testosterone deposition on the developing embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Jouanneau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 17031 La Rochelle, France; Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Don-Jean Léandri-Breton
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 17031 La Rochelle, France; Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Dorte Herzke
- NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Børge Moe
- NINA - Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Vladimir A Nikiforov
- NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Marie Pallud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 17031 La Rochelle, France
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 17031 La Rochelle, France
| | | | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 17031 La Rochelle, France
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3
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The breeding biology of erect-crested penguins, Eudyptes sclateri: Hormones, behavior, obligate brood reduction and conservation. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275106. [PMID: 36223344 PMCID: PMC9555622 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Erect-crested penguins are the least studied of all penguins. They breed on two isolated subantarctic island groups, the Antipodes and Bounty Islands. Sporadic nest counts indicate a dramatic decline in numbers of erect-crested penguins over the last 50 years. Here we present data from a study undertaken in 1998 on the breeding biology, behavior and hormones of erect-crested penguins. It represents, even today, by far the most detailed data available on this species. The penguins exhibited extreme reversed egg-size dimorphism, whereby the first-laid A-egg was much smaller than the second-laid B-egg. A-eggs were lost before (42.3%) or on (37.8%) the day the B-egg was laid, and none survived more than 7 days after that. The penguins were in a low state of reproductive readiness, as evidenced by low levels of copulation, fighting, and testosterone in males during the courtship/laying period when, curiously, plasma levels of testosterone were at least as high in females. The laying interval (5.4 days) is the longest recorded for any penguin species, and incubation was highly variable until clutch completion. Most nests (91.2%) contained no nesting material and eggs were laid directly onto the ground. A-eggs were lost mainly by rolling out of the nest. However, even when prevented from doing so by an experimental manipulation, A-eggs survived no longer than those in control nests. Testosterone levels in males increased after clutch completion, when they remained in attendance at the nest for up to 13 days, despite females assuming most of the incubation duties. The bills of males were significantly larger than those of females and probably help with guarding the nest. We discuss explanations for obligate brood reduction in crested penguins and the options for conservation in light of our census results, which indicate that this enigmatic penguin species could be in trouble.
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4
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Dickins DW. “Punishing” pecks and “siblicidal” pecks in kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) chicks. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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5
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Sauve D, Friesen VL, Charmantier A. The Effects of Weather on Avian Growth and Implications for Adaptation to Climate Change. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.569741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is forecasted to generate a range of evolutionary changes and plastic responses. One important aspect of avian responses to climate change is how weather conditions may change nestling growth and development. Early life growth is sensitive to environmental effects and can potentially have long-lasting effects on adult phenotypes and fitness. A detailed understanding of both how and when weather conditions affect the entire growth trajectory of a nestling may help predict population changes in phenotypes and demography under climate change. This review covers three main topics on the impacts of weather variation (air temperature, rainfall, wind speed, solar radiation) on nestling growth. Firstly, we highlight why understanding the effects of weather on nestling growth might be important in understanding adaptation to, and population persistence in, environments altered by climate change. Secondly, we review the documented effects of weather variation on nestling growth curves. We investigate both altricial and precocial species, but we find a limited number of studies on precocial species in the wild. Increasing temperatures and rainfall have mixed effects on nestling growth, while increasing windspeeds tend to have negative impacts on the growth rate of open cup nesting species. Thirdly, we discuss how weather variation might affect the evolution of nestling growth traits and suggest that more estimates of the inheritance of and selection acting on growth traits in natural settings are needed to make evolutionary predictions. We suggest that predictions will be improved by considering concurrently changing selection pressures like urbanization. The importance of adaptive plastic or evolutionary changes in growth may depend on where a species or population is located geographically and the species’ life-history. Detailed characterization of the effects of weather on growth patterns will help answer whether variation in avian growth frequently plays a role in adaption to climate change.
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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.
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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
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7
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Muriel J, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Gil D. Age-related patterns of yolk androgen deposition are consistent with adaptive brood reduction in spotless starlings. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2770-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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8
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Morosinotto C, Thomson RL, Korpimäki E, Mateo R, Ruuskanen S. Maternal food supplementation and perceived predation risk modify egg composition and eggshell traits but not offspring condition. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.201954. [PMID: 31548290 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mothers may vary resource allocation to eggs and embryos, which may affect offspring fitness and prepare them for future environmental conditions. The effects of food availability and predation risk on reproduction have been extensively studied, yet their simultaneous impacts on reproductive investment and offspring early life conditions are still unclear. We experimentally manipulated these key environmental elements using a 2×2 full factorial design in wild, free-living pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca), and measured egg composition, eggshell traits and offspring condition. Eggs laid in food-supplemented nests had larger yolks and thicker shells independently of predation risk, while eggs laid in nests exposed to predator cues had lower levels of immunoglobulins, independent of food supplementation. In nests without predator cues, shell biliverdin content was higher in eggs laid in food-supplemented nests. Incubation was 1 day shorter in food-supplemented nests and shorter incubation periods were associated with higher hatching success, but there were no direct effects of maternal treatment on hatching success. To investigate the impact of maternal treatment (via egg composition) on the offspring, we performed full brood cross-fostering after hatching to unmanipulated nests. Maternal treatment did not significantly affect body mass and immunoglobulin levels of offspring. Our results suggest that although prenatal maternal cues affected egg composition, these egg-mediated effects may not have detectable consequences for offspring growth or immune capacity. Unpredictable environmental stressors may thus affect parental investment in the eggs, but parental care may level off costs and benefits of differential maternal egg allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Morosinotto
- Novia University of Applied Sciences, Bioeconomy Research Team, Raseborgsvägen 9, Ekenäs, 10600, Finland .,Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Robert L Thomson
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland.,FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Erkki Korpimäki
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
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9
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Okuliarova M, Meddle SL, Zeman M. Egg deposition of maternal testosterone is primarily controlled by the preovulatory peak of luteinizing hormone in Japanese quail. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 256:23-29. [PMID: 28495270 PMCID: PMC5771469 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Differential transfer of maternal testosterone (T) into egg yolk provides a means of adjusting an offspring's phenotype to ambient environmental conditions. While the environmental and genetic driven variability in yolk T levels is widely described, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether neuroendocrine mechanisms controlling ovulatory processes are associated with the regulation of yolk T deposition. Circulatory profiles of luteinizing hormone (LH), T and estradiol levels were analysed during the last 7h before ovulation in Japanese quail selected for contrasting yolk T concentrations. Moreover, the pituitary responsiveness to a single challenge with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) was evaluated. High egg T (HET) birds displayed higher concentrations of LH at 3.5h before ovulation than low egg T (LET) birds while no differences were found around the time of expected ovulation. The pre-ovulatory profile of T and estradiol levels did not differ between LET and HET females but pre-ovulatory plasma T positively correlated with LH concentrations at 6.5h and 3.5h before ovulation. The LH response to GnRH did not differ between LET and HET females. Our results demonstrate that the pre-ovulatory LH surge can determine the amount of T transferred into the egg yolk. This link between yolk T deposition and the ovulatory cycle driven variation of reproductive hormones may explain balance between the effects of circulating T on female's reproductive physiology and yolk T on offspring phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Okuliarova
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
| | - Simone L Meddle
- The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, UK
| | - Michal Zeman
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic; Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovak Republic
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10
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Ruuskanen S, Groothuis TGG, Schaper SV, Darras VM, de Vries B, Visser ME. Temperature-induced variation in yolk androgen and thyroid hormone levels in avian eggs. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 235:29-37. [PMID: 27255366 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Global warming has substantially changed the environment, but the mechanisms to cope with these changes in animals, including the role of maternal effects, are poorly understood. Maternal effects via hormones deposited in eggs, have important environment-dependent effects on offspring development and fitness: thus females are expected to adjust these hormones to the environment, such as the ambient temperature. Longer-term temperature variation could function as a cue, predicting chick rearing conditions to which yolk hormone levels are adjusted, while short-term temperature variation during egg formation may causally affect hormone transfer to eggs. We studied the effects of ambient temperature on yolk androgens (testosterone and androstenedione) and thyroid hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) in great tits (Parus major) using data from unmanipulated clutches from a wild population and from aviary birds (ad libitum food) exposed to different experimental temperature treatments during five years. Both in the wild and in captivity, longer-term pre-laying ambient temperature was not associated with clutch mean yolk hormone levels, while the way androstenedione and thyroxine levels varied across the laying sequence did associate with pre-laying temperature in the wild. Yolk testosterone levels were positively correlated with short-term temperature (during yolk formation) changes within clutches in both wild and captivity. We also report, for the first time in a wild bird, that yolk thyroxine levels correlated with a key environmental factor: thyroxine levels were negatively correlated with ambient temperature during egg formation. Thus, yolk hormone levels, especially testosterone, seem to be causally affected by ambient temperature. These short-term effects might reflect physiological changes in females with changes in ambient temperature. The adaptive value of the variation with ambient temperatures pre-laying or during egg formation should be studied with hormone manipulations in different thermal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvi Ruuskanen
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), The Netherlands.
| | - Ton G G Groothuis
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Sonja V Schaper
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), The Netherlands.
| | - Veerle M Darras
- Laboratory of Comparative Endocrinology, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Bonnie de Vries
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), The Netherlands.
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11
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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.
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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
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12
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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.
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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
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Hsu BY, Dijkstra C, Darras VM, de Vries B, Groothuis TGG. Maternal adjustment or constraint: differential effects of food availability on maternal deposition of macro-nutrients, steroids and thyroid hormones in rock pigeon eggs. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:397-411. [PMID: 26843926 PMCID: PMC4729257 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In oviparous species like birds, eggs provide the direct environment in which embryos are developing. Mothers may adjust different egg components in different ways in reaction to environmental cues either to adjust offspring development or because of constraints. In this study, we investigated the effects of food quality and quantity before and during egg laying on three different aspects of egg quality: macro‐nutrients (egg and yolk mass), androgens (testosterone and androstenedione), and thyroid hormones (3,5,3′‐triiodothyronine, T3 and l‐thyroxine, T4), using the rock pigeon (Columba livia). As expected, egg and yolk mass were significantly reduced for the eggs laid under the poor‐food condition, indicating a maternal trade‐off between offspring and self in allocating important resources. We did not find any significant change in yolk testosterone or their within‐clutch pattern over the laying sequence. This is consistent with the fact that, in contrast with nutrients, these hormones are not costly to produce, but does not support the hypothesis that they play a role in adjusting brood size to food conditions. In contrast, we found that T3 levels were higher in the egg yolks under the poor‐food condition whereas the total T4 content was lower. This change could be related to the fact that iodine, the critical constituent of thyroid hormones, might be a limiting factor in the production of this hormone. Given the knowledge that food restriction usually lead to reduction of circulating T3 levels, our results suggested that avian mothers can independently regulate its concentrations in their eggs from their own circulation. The study demonstrates that environmentally induced maternal effects via the egg can be a result of a combination of constrained resources and unconstrained signals and that thyroid hormones might be an interesting case of both. Therefore, this hormone and the interplay of different maternal effects on the offspring phenotype deserve much more attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin-Yan Hsu
- Behavioural Biology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Cor Dijkstra
- Behavioural Biology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Veerle M Darras
- Comparative Endocrinology Section of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Bonnie de Vries
- Behavioural Biology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Ton G G Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
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14
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Pârvulescu L, Pîrvu M, Moroşan LG, Zaharia C. Plasticity in fecundity highlights the females' importance in the spiny-cheek crayfish invasion mechanism. ZOOLOGY 2015; 118:424-32. [PMID: 26358988 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 07/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Invasion is one of the most consequential phenomena affecting the distribution of native species. Few in number of species, European crayfish are losing the competition with introduced North American crayfish. The spiny-cheek crayfish, Orconectes limosus, is an outstanding example, successfully competing against the native narrow-clawed crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus. For four years, we collected data regarding crayfish occurrences, their relative abundance, and the structure of populations in the ongoing colonisation process of O. limosus in the lower Danube. The mature females of both invasive and indigenous crayfish species were analysed with respect to biometry and production of oocytes in relation to the dynamics of invasion. The interspecific comparisons showed no significant differences regarding body size, with an average of approximately 102 mm total length and 31 g wet weight for both species. However, the fecundity of the indigenous species was found to be constant throughout the investigated area, whereas the number of eggs produced by the invasive females was significantly increased at the active front of the invasion. The maximum number of ovarian eggs found was 887 and 1156 in the indigenous species and the invasive species, respectively. We propose the scenario that the invasive species, which carries the deadly crayfish plague, creates an ecological advantage by reducing the populations of indigenous crayfish. Subsequently, the invasive females opportunistically use the available resources to enhance their fecundity, resulting in the acute growth of populations. However, the long-term competitiveness and colonisation success of O. limosus still remain in question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucian Pârvulescu
- Department of Biology-Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, 16A Pestalozzi St, 300115 Timisoara, Romania.
| | - Mălina Pîrvu
- Department of Biology-Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, 16A Pestalozzi St, 300115 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Loredana-Giorgiana Moroşan
- Department of Biology-Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, 16A Pestalozzi St, 300115 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Claudia Zaharia
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, West University of Timisoara, V. Parvan Blvd., 300223 Timisoara, Romania
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15
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Benowitz-Fredericks ZM, Schultner J, Kitaysky AS. Effects of Prenatal Environment on Phenotype Are Revealed by Postnatal Challenges: Embryonic Hormone Exposure, Adrenocortical Function, and Food in Seabird Chicks. Physiol Biochem Zool 2015; 88:607-23. [PMID: 26658409 DOI: 10.1086/683259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between prenatal environments and postnatal environments is an important source of phenotypic variability. We examined the ability of prenatal steroid exposure and postnatal energy restriction to explain adrenocortical function and fledging age in captive seabird chicks. We proposed and tested two hypotheses: (1) the strength of prenatal effects is attenuated by challenging postnatal environments (postnatal override) and (2) the strength of prenatal effects increases with the severity of postnatal challenges (postnatal reveal). We reared common murre (Uria aalge) chicks and measured prenatal exposure to corticosterone (CORT) and testosterone (T) from allantoic waste. Adrenocortical function was assessed after 10 d of ad lib. feeding and then after 5 and 10 d on controlled diets. Postnatal override predicts that prenatal steroids will explain more phenotypic variation before implementation of energy restriction; postnatal reveal predicts that the contribution of prenatal steroids will increase with duration and severity of energy restriction. Energy restriction increased secretion of baseline CORT and the adrenocortical response to the standardized stressor of handling and restraint. The ability of prenatal steroids to explain baseline CORT increased with duration of energy restriction, and for day 20 free baseline CORT, there was a significant interaction between kilojoules per day and prenatal CORT levels; severity of restriction strengthened the relationship between prenatal hormone levels and postnatal hormone levels. Both maximum CORT at day 20 and fledging age were best explained by diet treatment and day 15 or day 20 baseline CORT, respectively. Overall, prenatal CORT increased fledging age and baseline secretion of CORT, while prenatal T decreased them. However, prenatal effects on adrenocortical function were apparent only under the energy restriction conditions. Thus, we found some support for the postnatal reveal hypothesis; our results suggest that some prenatal effects on phenotype may be more likely to manifest in challenging postnatal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z M Benowitz-Fredericks
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 17837; 2Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway; 3Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775
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16
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Muriel J, Salmón P, Nunez-Buiza A, de Salas F, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Puerta M, Gil D. Context-dependent effects of yolk androgens on nestling growth and immune function in a multibrooded passerine. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1476-88. [PMID: 26079258 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Female birds may adjust their offspring phenotype to the specific requirements of the environment by differential allocation of physiologically active substances into yolks, such as androgens. Yolk androgens have been shown to accelerate embryonic development, growth rate and competitive ability of nestlings, but they can also entail immunological costs. The balance between costs and benefits of androgen allocation is expected to depend on nestling environment. We tested this hypothesis in a multibrooded passerine, the spotless starling, Sturnus unicolor. We experimentally manipulated yolk androgen levels using a between-brood design and evaluated its effects on nestling development, survival and immune function. Both in first and replacement broods, the embryonic development period was shorter for androgen-treated chicks than controls, but there were no differences in second broods. In replacement broods, androgen-treated chicks were heavier and larger than those hatched from control eggs, but this effect was not observed in the other breeding attempts. Androgen exposure reduced survival with respect to controls only in second broods. Regarding immune function, we detected nonsignificant trends for androgen treatment to activate two important components of innate and adaptive immunity (IL-6 and Ig-A levels, respectively). Similarly, androgen-treated chicks showed greater lymphocyte proliferation than controls in the first brood and an opposite trend in the second brood. Our results indicate that yolk androgen effects on nestling development and immunity depend on the environmental conditions of each breeding attempt. Variation in maternal androgen allocation to eggs could be explained as the result of context-dependent optimal strategies to maximize offspring fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Muriel
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - P Salmón
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - A Nunez-Buiza
- Departamento de Fisiología Animal II, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - F de Salas
- Departamento de Fisiología Animal II, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - L Pérez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - M Puerta
- Departamento de Fisiología Animal II, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - D Gil
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Merkling T, Agdere L, Albert E, Durieux R, Hatch SA, Danchin E, Blanchard P. Is natural hatching asynchrony optimal? An experimental investigation of sibling competition patterns in a facultatively siblicidal seabird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1646-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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