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Bodineau T, de Villemereuil P, Agostini S, Decencière B, Le Galliard JF, Meylan S. Breeding phenology drives variation in reproductive output, reproductive costs, and offspring fitness in a viviparous ectotherm. J Evol Biol 2024; 37:1023-1034. [PMID: 38989795 DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voae086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Phenological advances are a widespread response to global warming and can contribute to determine the climate vulnerability of organisms, particularly in ectothermic species, which are highly dependent on ambient temperatures to complete their life cycle. Yet, the relative contribution of breeding dates and temperature conditions during gestation on fitness of females and their offspring is poorly documented in reptiles. Here, we exposed females of the common lizard Zootoca vivipara to contrasting thermal scenarios (cold vs. hot treatment) during gestation and quantified effects of parturition dates and thermal treatment on life-history traits of females and their offspring for 1 year. Overall, our results suggest that parturition date has a greater impact than thermal conditions during gestation on life history strategies. In particular, we found positive effects of an earlier parturition date on juvenile survival, growth, and recruitment suggesting that environmental-dependent selection and/or differences in parental quality between early and late breeders underlie seasonal changes in offspring fitness. Yet, an earlier parturition date compromised the energetic condition of gravid females, which suggests the existence of a mother-offspring conflict regarding the optimization of parturition dates. While numerous studies focused on the direct effects of alterations in incubation temperatures on reptile life-history traits, our results highlight the importance of considering the role of breeding phenology in assessing the short- and long-term effects of thermal developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Bodineau
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, UPCité, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris - UMR 7618), Paris, France
| | - Pierre de Villemereuil
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL, MNHN, CNRS, SU, UA, Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France
| | - Simon Agostini
- École normale supérieure, PSL Research University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UAR 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Beatriz Decencière
- École normale supérieure, PSL Research University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UAR 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, UPCité, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris - UMR 7618), Paris, France
- École normale supérieure, PSL Research University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UAR 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, UPCité, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris - UMR 7618), Paris, France
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2
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Taff CC, McNew SM, Campagna L, Vitousek MN. Corticosterone exposure is associated with long-term changes in DNA methylation, physiology and breeding decisions in a wild bird. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17456. [PMID: 38953311 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
When facing challenges, vertebrates activate a hormonal stress response that can dramatically alter behaviour and physiology. Although this response can be costly, conceptual models suggest that it can also recalibrate the stress response system, priming more effective responses to future challenges. Little is known about whether this process occurs in wild animals, particularly in adulthood, and if so, how information about prior experience with stressors is encoded. One potential mechanism is hormonally mediated changes in DNA methylation. We simulated the spikes in corticosterone that accompany a stress response using non-invasive dosing in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and monitored the phenotypic effects 1 year later. In a subset of individuals, we characterized DNA methylation using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing shortly after treatment and a year later. The year after treatment, experimental females had stronger negative feedback and initiated breeding earlier-traits that are associated with stress resilience and reproductive performance in our population-and higher baseline corticosterone. We also found that natural variation in corticosterone predicted patterns of DNA methylation. Finally, corticosterone treatment influenced methylation on short (1-2 weeks) and long (1 year) time scales; however, these changes did not have clear links to functional regulation of the stress response. Taken together, our results are consistent with corticosterone-induced priming of future stress resilience and support DNA methylation as a potential mechanism, but more work is needed to demonstrate functional consequences. Uncovering the mechanisms linking experience with the response to future challenges has implications for understanding the drivers of stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine, USA
| | - Sabrina M McNew
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Leonardo Campagna
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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3
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Adams CA, Tomaszewska MA, Henebry GM, Horton KG. Chasing and surfing seasonal waves: Avian migration through the US tracks land surface phenology in fall, but not spring. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:836-848. [PMID: 38741512 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is altering the timing of seasonal events for many taxa. There is limited understanding of how northward/southward songbird migration follows or is limited by the latitudinal progression of seasonal transitions. Consistent environmental conditions that migrating birds encounter across latitudes likely represent or correlate with important resources or limiting factors for migration. We tested whether migratory passage-observed via radar-consistently tracked land surface variables and phenophases across latitudes in the US Central Flyway in both spring and fall. The daily temperatures, precipitation and vegetation greenness occurring on 10%, 50% and 90% cumulative passage dates changed substantially with latitude, indicating that most migrants experienced rapidly changing conditions as they headed north or south. Temperature did not limit the progression of migration in either season. Peak spring migration in the southern US occurred nearly 40 days after the spring green wave, the northward progression of vegetation growth, but nearly caught up to green-up at 48° N. Spring migration phenology may have evolved to prioritize earlier arrival for breeding. Across all latitudes, peak fall migration coincided with the same land surface phenophase, an interval of 26 days prior to dormancy onset. Migrants may rely on phenological events in vegetation during fall stopovers. Considering that (a) migratory passage tracked fall land surface phenology across latitudes at a continental scale, (b) previous studies at local scales have demonstrated the importance of fruit during fall migratory stopover and (c) fruiting phenology in North America is occurring later over time while fall migration is advancing, the potential for mismatch between fall fruiting and bird migration phenology urgently needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Ann Adams
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, 1474 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Monika A Tomaszewska
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Geoffrey M Henebry
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Kyle G Horton
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, 1474 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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4
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McNew SM, Taff CC, Zimmer C, Uehling JJ, Ryan TA, Chang van Oordt D, Houtz JL, Injaian AS, Vitousek MN. Developmental stage-dependent effects of perceived predation risk on nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Ecology 2024; 105:e4307. [PMID: 38724013 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4307] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The risk of predation directly affects the physiology, behavior, and fitness of wild birds. Strong social connections with conspecifics could help individuals recover from a stressful experience such as a predation event; however, competitive interactions also have the potential to exacerbate stress. Few studies have investigated the interaction between environmental stressors and the social landscape in wild bird populations. In 2 years of field studies, we experimentally simulated predation attempts on breeding female tree swallows (Tachicyneta bicolor). At the same time, we manipulated female breast plumage color, a key social signal. Simulated predation events on tree swallows early in the nestling period reduced young nestlings' mass by approximately 20% and shortened telomere lengths. Ultimately, only 31% of nestlings in the predation group fledged compared with 70% of control nestlings. However, the effects of experimental manipulations were timing dependent: the following year when we swapped the order of the experimental manipulations and simulated predation during incubation, there were no significant effects of predation on nestling condition or fledging success. Contrary to our expectations, manipulation of the social environment did not affect the response of tree swallows to simulated predation. However, manipulating female plumage during the nestling period did reduce nestling skeletal size and mass, although the effects depended on original plumage brightness. Our data demonstrate that transient stressors on female birds can have carry-over effects on their nestlings if they occur during critical periods in the breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina M McNew
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer J Uehling
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L Houtz
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Allison S Injaian
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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5
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Chang van Oordt DA, Taff CC, Pipkin MA, Ryan TA, Vitousek MN. Experimentally elevated corticosterone does not affect bacteria killing ability of breeding female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Horm Behav 2024; 160:105500. [PMID: 38316079 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
The immune system can be modulated when organisms are exposed to acute or chronic stressors. Glucocorticoids (GCs), the primary hormonal mediators of the physiological stress response, are suspected to play a crucial role in immune modulation. However, most evidence of stress-associated immunomodulation does not separate the effects of glucocorticoid-dependent pathways from those of glucocorticoid-independent mechanisms on immune function. In this study, we experimentally elevated circulating corticosterone, the main avian glucocorticoid, in free-living female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) for one to two weeks to test its effects on immune modulation. Natural variation in bacteria killing ability (BKA), a measure of innate constitutive immunity, was predicted by the interaction between timing of breeding and corticosterone levels. However, experimental elevation of corticosterone had no effect on BKA. Therefore, even when BKA is correlated with natural variation in glucocorticoid levels, this relationship may not be causal. Experiments are necessary to uncover the causal mechanisms of immunomodulation and the consequences of acute and chronic stress on disease vulnerability. Findings in other species indicate that acute increases in GCs can suppress BKA; but our results support the hypothesis that this effect does not persist over longer timescales, during chronic elevations in GCs. Direct comparisons of the effects of acute vs. chronic elevation of GCs on BKA will be important for testing this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Chang van Oordt
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Conor C Taff
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Monique A Pipkin
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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6
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Taff CC, McNew SM, Zimmer C, Uehling JJ, Houtz JL, Ryan TA, Chang van Oordt D, Injaian AS, Vitousek MN. Social signal manipulation and environmental challenges have independent effects on physiology, internal microbiome, and reproductive performance in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 339:723-735. [PMID: 37306329 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The social environment that individuals experience appears to be a particularly salient mediator of stress resilience, as the nature and valence of social interactions are often related to subsequent health, physiology, microbiota, and overall stress resilience. Relatively few studies have simultaneously manipulated the social environment and ecological challenges under natural conditions. Here, we report the results of experiments in wild tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in which we manipulated both ecological challenges (predator encounters and flight efficiency reduction) and social interactions (by experimental dulling of a social signal). In two experiments conducted in separate years, we reversed the order of these treatments so that females experienced either an altered social signal followed by a challenge or vice-versa. Before, during, and after treatments were applied, we tracked breeding success, morphology and physiology (mass, corticosterone, and glucose), nest box visits via an RFID sensor network, cloacal microbiome diversity, and fledging success. Overall, we found that predator exposure during the nestling period reduced the likelihood of fledging and that signal manipulation sometimes altered nest box visitation patterns, but little evidence that the two categories of treatment interacted with each other. We discuss the implications of our results for understanding what types of challenges and what conditions are most likely to result in interactions between the social environment and ecological challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sabrina M McNew
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Paris, France
| | - Jennifer J Uehling
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L Houtz
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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7
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Oosthuizen WC, Pistorius PA, Bester MN, Altwegg R, de Bruyn PJN. Reproductive phenology is a repeatable, heritable trait linked to the timing of other life-history events in a migratory marine predator. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231170. [PMID: 37464761 PMCID: PMC10354465 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Population-level shifts in reproductive phenology in response to environmental change are common, but whether individual-level responses are modified by demographic and genetic factors remains less well understood. We used mixed models to quantify how reproductive timing varied across 1772 female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) breeding at Marion Island in the Southern Ocean (1989-2019), and to identify the factors that correlate with phenological shifts within and between individuals. We found strong support for covariation in the timing of breeding arrival dates and the timing of the preceding moult. Breeding arrival dates were more repeatable at the individual level, as compared with the population level, even after accounting for individual traits (wean date as a pup, age and breeding experience) associated with phenological variability. Mother-daughter similarities in breeding phenology were also evident, indicating that additive genetic effects may contribute to between-individual variation in breeding phenology. Over 30 years, elephant seal phenology did not change towards earlier or later dates, and we found no correlation between annual fluctuations in phenology and indices of environmental variation. Our results show how maternal genetic (or non-genetic) effects, individual traits and linkages between cyclical life-history events can drive within- and between-individual variation in reproductive phenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- W C Oosthuizen
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6031, South Africa
| | - P A Pistorius
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6031, South Africa
| | - M N Bester
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - R Altwegg
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - P J N de Bruyn
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
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8
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Chang van Oordt DA, Taff CC, Ryan TA, Vitousek MN. Timing of Breeding Reveals a Trade-Off between Immune Investment and Life History in Tree Swallows. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1629-1639. [PMID: 35561702 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The allocation of limited resources among life history traits creates trade-offs that constrain the range of possible phenotypes of organisms. In animals, the cost of maintaining an effective immune response may reduce the ability to invest in reproduction, resulting in altered susceptibility to disease. However, not all members of a population face identical constraints because differences in an individual's environmental context or physiological state can influence the degree to which traits are negatively associated. Here, we evaluated how variation in timing of breeding, a correlate of fitness, may result in different patterns of trait associations between immunity and reproduction. We measured constitutive immunity in breeding female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) using a bacteria killing assay with blood plasma to assess the relationships between bacteria killing ability (BKA), reproductive effort, and reproductive success. We found that timing of breeding can influence the association between BKA and reproductive effort, but its effects are not homogeneous among all traits. Late-breeding tree swallows with stronger BKA laid smaller clutches, a pattern that was not apparent in early breeders. Regardless of the timing of breeding, birds with stronger BKA fed their nestlings less. Despite a negative association with reproductive effort, we found no association between immunity and reproductive success. We provide evidence that individual tree swallows do not experience some trade-offs equally, and that timing of breeding likely plays a role in how costs of immunity are weighed. To understand how investment in immunity can limit life history traits, we must consider how a variation among individuals influences the relative costs of immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsur ods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsur ods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsur ods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsur ods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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9
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Wolf SE, Sanders TL, Beltran SE, Rosvall KA. The telomere regulatory gene POT1 responds to stress and predicts performance in nature: Implications for telomeres and life history evolution. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6155-6171. [PMID: 34674335 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are emerging as correlates of fitness-related traits and may be important mediators of ecologically relevant variation in life history strategies. Growing evidence suggests that telomere dynamics can be more predictive of performance than length itself, but very little work considers how telomere regulatory mechanisms respond to environmental challenges or influence performance in nature. Here, we combine observational and experimental data sets from free-living tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to assess how performance is predicted by the telomere regulatory gene POT1, which encodes a shelterin protein that sterically blocks telomerase from repairing the telomere. First, we show that lower POT1 gene expression in the blood was associated with higher female quality, that is, earlier breeding and heavier body mass. We next challenged mothers with an immune stressor (lipopolysaccharide injection) that led to "sickness" in mothers and 24 h of food restriction in their offspring. While POT1 did not respond to maternal injection, females with lower constitutive POT1 gene expression were better able to maintain feeding rates following treatment. Maternal injection also generated a 1-day stressor for chicks, which responded with lower POT1 gene expression and elongated telomeres. Other putatively stress-responsive mechanisms (i.e., glucocorticoids, antioxidants) showed marginal responses in stress-exposed chicks. Model comparisons indicated that POT1 mRNA abundance was a largely better predictor of performance than telomere dynamics, indicating that telomere regulators may be powerful modulators of variation in life history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Wolf
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.,Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Tiana L Sanders
- Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Sol E Beltran
- Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Kimberly A Rosvall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.,Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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10
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Taff CC, Zimmer C, Ryan TA, van Oordt DC, Aborn DA, Ardia DR, Johnson LS, Rose AP, Vitousek M. Individual variation in natural or manipulated corticosterone does not covary with circulating glucose in a wild bird. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274518. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals respond to sudden challenges with a coordinated set of physiological and behavioral responses that enhance the ability to cope with stressors. While general characteristics of the vertebrate stress response are well described, it is not as clear how individual components covary between- or within-individuals. A rapid increase in glucocorticoids coordinates the stress response and one of the primary downstream results is an increase in glucose availability via reduced glucose utilization. Here, we asked whether between- and within-individual variation in corticosterone directly predicted variation in glucose. We collected 2,673 paired glucose and corticosterone measures from 776 tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from four populations spanning the species range. In adults, glucose and corticosterone both increased during a standardized restraint protocol in all four populations. Moreover, in one population experimentally increasing a precursor that stimulates corticosterone release resulted in a further increase in both measures. In contrast, nestlings did not show a robust glucose response to handling or manipulation. Despite this group level variation, there was very little evidence in any population that between-individual variation in corticosterone predicted between-individual variation in glucose regulation. Glucose was moderately repeatable within-individuals, but within-individual variation in glucose and corticosterone were unrelated. Our results highlight the fact that a strong response in one aspect of the coordinated acute stress response (corticosterone) does not necessarily indicate that specific downstream components, such as glucose, will show similarly strong responses. These results have implications for understanding the evolution of integrated stress response systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, UR 4443, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, France
| | - Thomas A. Ryan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA
| | - David A. Aborn
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA
| | | | | | - Alexandra P. Rose
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
| | - Maren Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA
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11
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Taff CC, Zimmer C, Scheck D, Ryan TA, Houtz JL, Smee MR, Hendry TA, Vitousek MN. Plumage manipulation alters associations between behaviour, physiology, the internal microbiome and fitness. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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12
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Injaian AS, Uehling JJ, Taff CC, Vitousek MN. Effects of artificial light at night on avian provisioning, corticosterone, and reproductive success. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1147-1159. [PMID: 34021748 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial light at night (hereafter 'ALAN') affects 88% of the land area in Europe and almost half of the land area in the US, with even rural areas exposed to lights from agricultural and industrial buildings. To date, there have been few studies that assess the impacts of ALAN on both wildlife behavior and physiology. However, ALAN may alter energy expenditure and/or stress physiology during the breeding period, potentially reducing reproductive success and resulting in conservation implications. Here, we experimentally exposed adult female and nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to ALAN. We then measured the effects of ALAN compared to control conditions on parental behavior (provisioning rate), nestling physiology (corticosterone levels), and reproductive success (likelihood of all eggs hatching and all nestlings fledging per nest). Our results showed that ALAN-exposed females provisioned their nestlings at lower rates than control females. Although relatively weak, our results also suggested that ALAN-exposed nestlings had reduced baseline and increased stress-induced corticosterone compared to control nestlings. ALAN-exposed nestlings also showed greater negative feedback of circulating corticosterone. We found no support for our prediction that ALAN would reduce nestling body condition. Finally, we found some support for a negative effect of ALAN on the likelihood that all eggs hatched in a given nest, but not the likelihood that all nestlings fledged. Therefore, while it is possible that the behavioral and physiological changes found here result in long-term consequences, our results also suggest that direct ALAN exposure alone may not have substantially large or negative effects on tree swallows. Exposure regimes for free-living birds, such as exposure to a combination of anthropogenic disturbances (i.e. ALAN and noise pollution) or direct and indirect effects of ALAN (i.e. effects on physiology due to direct light exposure and alterations in food availability), may produce different results than those found here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison S Injaian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer J Uehling
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Berzins LL, Dawson RD, Morrissey CA, Clark RG. The relative contribution of individual quality and changing climate as drivers of lifetime reproductive success in a short-lived avian species. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19766. [PMID: 33188255 PMCID: PMC7666198 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75557-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal populations are influenced strongly by fluctuations in weather conditions, but long-term fitness costs are rarely explored, especially in short-lived avian species. We evaluated the relative contributions of individual characteristics and environmental conditions to lifetime reproductive success (LRS) of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from two populations breeding in contrasting environments and geographies, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, Canada. Female swallows achieved higher LRS by breeding early in the season and producing more fledglings. Other measures of female quality had virtually no influence on LRS. Genetic factors did not predict LRS, as there was no correlation between life-history components for sister pairs nor between mothers and their daughters. Instead, climate variability-indexed by spring pond density (i.e., abundance of wetland basins holding water) during years when females bred-had strong positive effects on female LRS in more arid Saskatchewan but only weak positive effects of moisture conditions were detected in wetter British Columbia. Overall, several life history trait correlates of LRS were similar between populations, but local environmental factors experienced by individuals while breeding produced large differences in LRS. Consequently, variable and extreme environmental conditions associated with changing climate are predicted to influence individual fitness of distinct populations within a species' range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L Berzins
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada.
| | - Russell D Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Christy A Morrissey
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Robert G Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X4, Canada
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Birds advancing lay dates with warming springs face greater risk of chick mortality. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:25590-25594. [PMID: 32989166 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2009864117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In response to a warming planet with earlier springs, migratory animals are adjusting the timing of essential life stages. Although these adjustments may be essential for keeping pace with resource phenology, they may prove insufficient, as evidenced by population declines in many species. However, even when species can match the tempo of climate change, other consequences may emerge when exposed to novel conditions earlier in the year. Here, using three long-term datasets on bird reproduction, daily insect availability, and weather, we investigated the complex mechanisms affecting reproductive success in an aerial insectivore, the tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor). By examining breeding records over nearly half a century, we discovered that tree swallows have continuously advanced their egg laying by ∼3 d per decade. However, earlier-hatching offspring are now exposed to inclement weather events twice as often as they were in the 1970s. Our long-term daily insect biomass dataset shows no long-term trends over 25 y but precipitous drops in flying insect numbers on days with low ambient temperatures. Insect availability has a considerable impact on chick survival: Even a single inclement weather event can reduce offspring survival by >50%. Our results highlight the multifaceted threats that climate change poses on migrating species. The decoupling between cold snap occurrence and generally warming spring temperatures can affect reproductive success and threaten long-term persistence of populations. Understanding the exact mechanisms that endanger aerial insectivores is especially timely because this guild is experiencing the steepest and most widespread declines across North America and Europe.
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