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Rittinger MA, Bowden RM, Sauers LA, Paitz RT, Poppe CJ, Thompson CF, Sakaluk SK. Sex-specific effects of hatching order on nestling baseline corticosterone in a wild songbird. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 319:113964. [PMID: 34922951 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Variation in nestling growth and survival is often influenced by hatching order, with first-hatched offspring having an advantage over later-hatched younger siblings. In house wrens (Troglodytes aedon), this effect of hatching order is especially evident in asynchronously hatched broods and can lead to sex-specific differences in the size and condition of nestlings. Females appear to allocate the sex of their offspring across the laying order to capitalize on these differences. We hypothesized that levels of circulating corticosterone, the primary metabolic hormone in birds, mediates these sex-specific effects in nestlings. We predicted that: i) baseline levels of corticosterone in nestlings should vary along the hatching order, ii) effects of hatching order on baseline corticosterone should be sex specific, and iii) any sex-specificity of hatching order on baseline corticosterone could be contingent on the degree of hatching synchrony. We tested these predictions in a study in which we measured baseline corticosterone in first- and last-hatched nestlings in synchronously and asynchronously hatching broods. To assess whether any differences in nestling baseline corticosterone levels could be attributed to pre-natal maternal effects, the post-natal environment, or both, we conducted two additional studies in which we measured i) yolk corticosterone in first- and last-laid eggs and ii) baseline corticosterone in nestlings that were cross-fostered to create simulated 'asynchronously' hatched broods. There was a significant interaction between sex and relative hatching order in their effects on nestling baseline corticosterone, but no effect of hatching synchrony. Corticosterone levels remained relatively constant across the hatching order in males but decreased in females. There was a significant effect of laying order on yolk corticosterone, with first-laid eggs containing significantly higher levels of yolk corticosterone than last-laid eggs. Cross-fostering of nestlings at different points of development had no significant effect on nestling corticosterone levels. These results indicate that sex-dependent differences in corticosterone levels across the hatching order may arise, at least in part, from embryonic exposure to maternally derived corticosterone, whereas the post-natal rearing environment plays, at best, a minimal role in determining nestling baseline corticosterone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison A Rittinger
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA.
| | - Rachel M Bowden
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Logan A Sauers
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Ryan T Paitz
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Christine J Poppe
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Charles F Thompson
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Scott K Sakaluk
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
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Duan X, Yu L, Luo Q, Han R. Analysis of amino acid in albumen and circular RNAs in ovaries of laying hens by chromatographic analysis and RNA-seq. J LIQ CHROMATOGR R T 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10826076.2021.2023022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Duan
- Office of Academic Affairs, Hebei North University, Zhang Jiakou, China
| | - Liu Yu
- Department of Laboratory Animal Center, Hebei North University, Zhang Jiakou, China
| | - Qiang Luo
- Life Science Research Center, Hebei North University, Zhang Jiakou, China
| | - Rui Han
- Department of Laboratory Animal Center, Hebei North University, Zhang Jiakou, China
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