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Enos JK, Ducay R, Paitz RT, Ward MP, Hauber ME. Female red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) do not alter nest site selection, maternal programming, or hormone-mediated maternal effects in response to perceived nest predation or brood parasitism risk. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023:114322. [PMID: 37247827 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114322] [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: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Predation or brood parasitism risks can change the behaviors and reproductive decisions in many parental animals. For oviparous species, mothers can mitigate their reproductive success in at least three ways: (1) by avoiding nest sites with high predation or parasitism risks, (2) through hormonal maternal effects that developmentally prime offspring for survival in risky environments, or (3) by investing less in reproduction when predation or parasitism risks are high. Here, we tested if perceived predation and parasitism risks can induce any of these behavioral or physiological responses by exposing female red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) to playbacks of two major nest threats, a predator (Cooper's hawk, Accipiter cooperii) and an obligate brood parasite (brown-headed cowbird; Molothrus ater), as well as two controls (harmless Eastern meadowlark, Sturnella magna; and silence). We found that female blackbirds did not avoid nesting at sites treated with predator or brood parasite playbacks, nor were females more likely to abandon nesting attempts at these sites. Egg size and yolk hormone profiles, which are common proxies for maternal investment in oviparous species, were statistically similar across treatment sites. Instead, we found intraclutch variation in yolk steroid hormone profiles: concentrations of three progestogens (pregnanedione, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, and deoxycorticosterone) and two androgens (testosterone and androstenedione) were higher in third-laid than first-laid eggs. Our study largely confirms previous findings of consistent intraclutch yolk hormone variation in this species, in birds in general, and in other oviparous lineages, but uniquely reports on several yolk steroid hormones largely overlooked in the literature on hormone-mediated maternal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice K Enos
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA.
| | - Rebecca Ducay
- Southern Illinois University, School of Forestry, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA
| | - Ryan T Paitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790, USA
| | - Michael P Ward
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA; Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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2
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Fortuna R, Paquet M, Biard C, Élard L, Ferreira AC, Leroux-Coyaux M, Parenteau C, Silva LR, Théron F, Covas R, Doutrelant C. Egg components and offspring survival vary with group size and laying order in a cooperative breeder. Oecologia 2023; 202:129-142. [PMID: 37148378 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05379-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal resource allocation to offspring can be influenced by maternal environment and offspring value, and affect offspring survival. An important pathway for flexible maternal allocation is via egg components such as nutrients and hormones. In cooperative breeders, females with helpers may increase resource allocation to eggs-'differential allocation'-or reduce it-'load-lightening'. Yet, helper effects on egg composition have been poorly studied. Moreover, it is unknown how helpers' presence modulates laying order effects on egg content and survival. Here, we investigated how maternal allocation varied with group size and laying order in the cooperatively breeding sociable weaver (Philetairus socius). We estimated interactive effects of helpers and laying order on allocation to egg mass, yolk nutrients-yolk mass, proteins, lipids, carotenoids, vitamin A and vitamin E-and hormones-testosterone, androstenedione, and corticosterone. Results concurred with the 'differential allocation' predictions. Females with more helpers produced later-laid eggs with heavier yolks and more lipids, and laid eggs overall richer in lipids. Proteins, antioxidants, and hormones were not found to vary with helper number. We then analyzed how helper number modulated laying order effects on survival. Females with more helpers did not specifically produce later-laid eggs with higher survival, but eggs laid by females with more helpers were overall more likely to fledge. These findings show that some egg components (yolk mass, lipids) can positively vary according to females' breeding group size, which may improve offspring fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Fortuna
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002, Porto, Portugal.
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France.
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Institutt for Biologi, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Matthieu Paquet
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7044, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute of Mathematics of Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, Talence, France
| | - Clotilde Biard
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, IEES, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Loïc Élard
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, IEES, 75005, Paris, France
| | - André C Ferreira
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Leroux-Coyaux
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, IEES, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Liliana R Silva
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Franck Théron
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Rita Covas
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Claire Doutrelant
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, 34293, Montpellier, France
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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3
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Javůrková VG, Mikšík I. New insights into the relationships between egg maternal components: the interplays between albumen steroid hormones, proteins and eggshell protoporphyrin. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 279:111401. [PMID: 36781044 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that the egg yolk maternal components, which are a mixture of substances that can affect the developing embryo, do not act separately but are interconnected and co-adapted. Surprisingly, no study to date has focused on the associations between maternally derived albumen steroids and albumen and eggshell compounds with pleiotropic effects. Eggshell pigment protoporphyrin (PROTO IX) should provide primary antimicrobial protection for eggs, but as a proven pro-oxidant, it may compromise female fitness. Abundant albumen proteins ovotransferrin (OVOTR) and lysozyme (LSM) have been shown to have antimicrobial, antioxidant, immunoregulatory and growth-regulatory roles. To investigate associations between albumen steroids and OVOTR, LSM and eggshell cuticle PROTO IX, we used chicken eggs with differently pigmented eggshells. We found that albumen steroid hormones were strongly intercorrelated. In addition, we revealed that albumen LSM and testosterone (T) were positively associated, while a negative association was found between albumen LSM and pregnenolone (P5). Eggshell cuticle PROTO IX was negatively associated with the concentration of albumen 17α-hydroxypregnenolone (17-OHP5). Finally, of all the hormones tested, only the concentration of albumen 17-OHP5 correlated negatively with egg volume and varied with eggshell colour and chicken breed. Although experimental evidence for the effect of maternal albumen steroids on avian developing embryo is still scarce, our study is the first to highlight co-variation and potential co-adjustment of maternally derived albumen steroids, proteins and eggshell cuticle pigment suggesting similar allocation mechanisms known for yolk maternal compounds with the potential to influence the avian embryo and offspring phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Gvoždíková Javůrková
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Ivan Mikšík
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Studentská 573, 532 10 Pardubice, Czech Republic
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Fortuna R, Paquet M, Ferreira AC, Silva LR, Theron F, Doutrelant C, Covas R. Maternal allocation in relation to weather, predation and social factors in a colonial cooperative bird. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1122-1133. [PMID: 33550597 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Females may adjust prenatal allocation in relation to ecological conditions that affect reproductive success, such as weather conditions or predation risk. In cooperative breeders, helpers might also influence reproductive success, and previous studies suggest that females can lay smaller eggs or larger clutches when breeding with more helpers. Although recent work suggests that helper effects can vary according to climatic variables, how social and ecological factors interact to shape prenatal allocation is poorly understood. Here, we examine how ecological and social components of the breeding environment covary with egg mass and clutch size, using as a model the sociable weaver Philetairus socius, a colonial, cooperatively breeding passerine. The study spanned 9 years and included over 1,900 eggs from over 550 clutches. Our analyses combined natural variation in weather conditions (rainfall before each reproductive event) with a nest predator-exclusion experiment and continuous monitoring of the mother's social environment, allowing us to estimate how individual females adjust allocation to reproduction as their number of helpers varies. We found that egg mass varied consistently within females and did not clearly differ in relation to rainfall or predation risk. Contrary to previous studies, there was no evidence for plastic adjustments as females gained and lost helpers, and egg mass was instead better predicted by mother size and identity. Females laid larger clutches when breeding in environments where predation risk was experimentally reduced and after higher rainfall levels. Yet, there was no evidence for increasing clutch size as the number of helpers increased, nor for an interaction between helper effects and ecological factors. We conclude that while sociable weaver females can vary their clutch size, they show high individual consistency in egg mass. In addition, we found no evidence that females may maximize fitness through plastic prenatal allocation in relation to the number of helpers, or that the presence/absence of helper effects is modulated by rainfall levels or predation risk. These results challenge our current knowledge on some of the possible benefits of breeding with helpers and call for more long-term analyses on reproductive allocation adjustments in other cooperative systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Fortuna
- CIBIO-InBIO - Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Matthieu Paquet
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - André C Ferreira
- CIBIO-InBIO - Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Vairão, Portugal.,CEFE-UMR5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Liliana R Silva
- CIBIO-InBIO - Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Franck Theron
- CEFE-UMR5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Claire Doutrelant
- CEFE-UMR5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Rita Covas
- CIBIO-InBIO - Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Vairão, Portugal.,Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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5
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Damaziak K, Kieliszek M, Bucław M. Characterization of structure and protein of vitelline membranes of precocial (ring-necked pheasant, gray partridge) and superaltricial (cockatiel parrot, domestic pigeon) birds. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228310. [PMID: 31999757 PMCID: PMC6992205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Of all the known oviparous taxa, female birds lay the most diverse types of eggs that differ in terms of shape, shell pigmentation, and shell structure. The pigmentation of the shell, the weight of the egg, and the composition of the yolk correlate with environmental conditions and the needs of the developing embryos. In this study, we analyzed the structure and protein composition of the vitelline membrane (VM) of ring-necked pheasant, gray partridge, cockatiel parrot, and domestic pigeon eggs. We found that the VM structure is characteristic of each species and varies depending on whether the species is precocial (ring-necked pheasant and gray partridge) or superaltrical (cockatiel parrot and domestic pigeon). We hypothesize that a multilayer structure of VM is necessary to counteract the aging process of the egg. The multilayer structure of VM is only found in species with a large number of eggs in one clutch and is characterized by a long incubation period. An interesting discovery of this study is the three-layered VM of pheasant and partridge eggs. This shows that the formation of individual layers of VM in specific sections of the hen's reproductive system is not confirmed in other species. The number of protein fractions varied between 19 and 23, with a molecular weight ranging from 15 to 250 kDa, depending on the species. The number of proteins identified in the VM of the study birds' eggs is as follows: chicken-14, ring-necked pheasant-7, gray partridge-10, cockatiel parrot-6, and domestic pigeon-23. The highest number of species-specific proteins (21) was detected in the VM of domestic pigeon. This study is the first to present the structure and protein composition in the VM of ring-necked pheasant, gray partridge, cockatiel parrot, and domestic pigeon eggs. In addition, we analyzed the relationship between the hatching specification of birds and the structure of the VM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Damaziak
- Department of Animal Breeding, Faculty of Animal Breeding, Bioengineering and Conservation, Institute of Animal Science, University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marek Kieliszek
- Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mateusz Bucław
- Department of Poultry and Ornamental Bird Breeding, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
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Berg KS, Delgado S, Mata-Betancourt A, Krause JS, Wingfield JC, Beissinger SR. Ontogeny of the adrenocortical response in an extremely altricial bird. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2019; 331:521-529. [PMID: 31545013 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory predicts that physiological and behavioral responsiveness to stress should be delayed in development until the benefits of heightened reactivity outweigh the costs of potentially chronic glucocorticoid levels. Birds often acquire stress-responsiveness at locomotor independence, however, both stress-responsiveness and locomotor ability are delayed in birds with altricial developmental strategies. Parrots (Psittacidae) are extremely altricial, but it is not known whether they also postpone physiological responsiveness to stress until locomotor independence. We quantified individual variation in baseline and stress-induced plasma corticosterone (CORT) concentrations, the main avian glucocorticoid, in wild green-rumped parrotlets (Forpus passerinus) of Venezuela at four stages of nestling development. Parrotlet neonates are very underdeveloped and compete for parental care among extreme sibling size hierarchies, a competitive scenario that might benefit from early hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) functionality. Nestlings that underwent a standardized restraint stress-treatment showed higher average CORT concentrations compared to baseline in all age groups sampled, and exhibited no evidence of age-related changes in the stress response. This is 2 weeks before locomotor independence and earlier than previously documented for altricial species. Results suggest that precocity of HPA function may be advantageous to growth and survivorship in extremely altricial birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl S Berg
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, Texas
| | - Soraya Delgado
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, Texas
| | | | - Jesse S Krause
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
| | - John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Steven R Beissinger
- Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, California
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Braasch A, Becker PH. Maternal investment in last-laid eggs does not compensate for hatching asynchrony in a seabird. Oecologia 2019; 190:47-58. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04399-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Assis V, Carvalho T, Saad C, Miyagi E, Gionbelli M. Avaliação de dietas na reprodução de calopsitas e parâmetros reprodutivos. ARQ BRAS MED VET ZOO 2018. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4162-9555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
RESUMO As calopsitas são consideradas aves monogâmicas, atingem a maturidade sexual aos 12 meses, com postura variando entre três a sete ovos. São classificadas como granívoros, embora alguns estudos tenham demonstrado uma grande diversidade nos hábitos alimentares. Este trabalho foi realizado em caráter investigativo, com o objetivo de comparar o efeito de dietas na reprodução de calopsitas, assim como efetuar um levantamento dos parâmetros reprodutivos da espécie. O experimento foi feito na Universidade Federal de Lavras. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas utilizando-se o GLM do SAS (Statistical Analysis System, Cary, NC, USA). A variável ordem de postura apresentou significância (P<0,1) com as variáveis espessura da casca, peso do ovo e tempo de eclosão. A variável peso do ovo apresentou significância (P<0,1) com as variáveis, ordem de postura e largura do ovo. Os resultados encontrados neste estudo suportam a conclusão de que a dieta formulada conseguiu suprir as necessidades nutricionais das calopsitas na fase reprodutiva, não afetando a qualidade e a fertilidade dos ovos.
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Abstract
In several bird species, mothers that endow their eggs with additional resources benefit from more rapid development and more robust offspring. We examined egg size and associated life-history traits in 44 species of the slow-breeding procellariiform seabirds (albatrosses and petrels). The far distant foraging of some of the species should subject them to difficult ecological conditions and perhaps delays in return to the nest. Such delays might lead to poorer egg care by the remaining parent. To compensate, we predicted a positive association of egg size with foraging zone (offshore, near pelagic, far pelagic), and both with the length of incubation shifts. We tested this hypothesis and also examined egg size and fitness-related reproductive traits. Egg size scaled significantly and tightly with female body mass (β = 0.72, R2 = 0.98). After influences of both size and phylogeny were removed, however, egg size was positively and significantly associated with both mean length of incubation shift and feeding zone (r = 0.45 and 0.46, respectively), perhaps indicating a life-history syndrome of egg size, incubation, and distance that species go to forage during the breeding season, and supporting the compensation hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Stephen Dobson
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 du CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), 1919 route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier CEDEX 5, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5407, USA
| | - Pierre Jouventin
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 du CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), 1919 route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier CEDEX 5, France
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10
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Lahaye SEP, Eens M, Iserbyt A, Groothuis TGG, de Vries B, Müller W, Pinxten R. Influence of mate preference and laying order on maternal allocation in a monogamous parrot species with extreme hatching asynchrony. Horm Behav 2015; 71:49-59. [PMID: 25870020 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that in many avian species, prenatal maternal resource allocation varies both between and within clutches and may affect offspring fitness. Differential allocation of maternal resources, in terms of egg weight and yolk composition, may therefore allow the female to adjust brood reduction and to fine-tune reproductive investment in accordance with the expected fitness returns. The adaptive value of such maternal resource allocation is thought to be context-dependent as well as species-specific. We investigated the effects of female preference for her mate on the allocation of prenatal maternal resources in the budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatus, a monogamous species of parrot that shows an extreme hatching asynchrony. We assessed mate preferences in a two-way preference test and allowed females two breeding rounds: one with the preferred and one with the non-preferred partner. We found no effect of preference on either latency to lay or clutch size, but females mated with the preferred partner laid eggs that contained significantly more yolk. Their eggs also contained significantly more androstenedione but not testosterone. Our results suggest that in this species, female preference may influence maternal resource allocation, and that the functional roles of each androgen in the yolk should be considered separately. In addition, we found a significant effect of laying order on egg and yolk weight as well as on yolk testosterone and androstenedione levels. These measures, however, did not change linearly with the laying order and render it unlikely that female budgerigars compensate for the extreme hatching asynchrony by adjusting within-clutch allocation of prenatal maternal resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie E P Lahaye
- Department of Biology, Research Group Ethology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Research Group Ethology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Arne Iserbyt
- Department of Biology, Research Group Ethology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ton G G Groothuis
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Centre for Behaviour and Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bonnie de Vries
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Centre for Behaviour and Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology, Research Group Ethology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Research Group Ethology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; Institute for Education and Information Sciences, Research Unit Didactica, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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11
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Kasprzykowski Z, Polak M, Chylarecki P. Effects of Weather Conditions, Time of Breeding, Brood Size and Hatching Order on Eurasian Bittern Nestling Growth in a Food-Rich Fishpond Habitat. ANN ZOOL FENN 2014. [DOI: 10.5735/086.051.0602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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12
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Tissier ML, Williams TD, Criscuolo F. Maternal effects underlie ageing costs of growth in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). PLoS One 2014; 9:e97705. [PMID: 24828412 PMCID: PMC4020873 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects provide a mechanism to adapt offspring phenotype and optimize the mother's fitness to current environmental conditions. Transferring steroids to the yolk is one way mothers can translate environmental information into potential adaptive signals for offspring. However, maternally-derived hormones might also have adverse effects for offspring. For example, recent data in zebra finch chicks suggested that ageing related-processes (i.e. oxidative stress and telomere loss) were increased after egg-injection of corticosterone (CORT). Still, we have few experimental data describing the effect of maternal effects on the growth-ageing trade-off in offspring. Here, we chronically treated pre-laying zebra finch females (Taeniopygia guttata) with 17-β-estradiol (E2) or CORT, and followed offspring growth and cellular ageing rates (oxidative stress and telomere loss). CORT treatment decreased growth rate in male chicks and increased rate of telomere loss in mothers and female offspring. E2 increased body mass gain in male offspring, while reducing oxidative stress in both sexes but without affecting telomere loss. Since shorter telomeres were previously found to be a proxy of individual lifespan in zebra finches, maternal effects may, through pleiotropic effects, be important determinants of offspring life-expectancy by modulating ageing rate during embryo and post-natal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde L. Tissier
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Tony D. Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - François Criscuolo
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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13
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Maternal effects in the highly communal sociable weaver may exacerbate brood reduction and prepare offspring for a competitive social environment. Oecologia 2012; 171:379-89. [PMID: 22948278 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2439-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Accepted: 08/14/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Maternal effects can influence offspring phenotype with short- and long-term consequences. Yet, how the social environment may influence egg composition is not well understood. Here, we investigate how laying order and social environment predict maternal effects in the sociable weaver, Philetairus socius, a species that lives in massive communal nests which may be occupied by only a few to 100+ individuals in a single nest. This range of social environments is associated with variation in a number of phenotypic and life-history traits. We investigate whether maternal effects are adjusted accordingly. We found no evidence for the prediction that females might benefit from modifying brood hierarchies through an increased deposition of androgens with laying order. Instead, females appear to exacerbate brood reduction by decreasing the costly production of yolk mass and antioxidants with laying order. Additionally, we found that this effect did not depend on colony size. Finally, in accordance with an expected increased intensity of environmental stress with increasing colony size, we found that yolk androgen concentration increased with colony size. This result suggests that females may enhance the competitive ability of offspring raised in larger colonies, possibly preparing the offspring for a competitive social environment.
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14
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Parejo D, Avilés JM, Rodríguez J. Supplemental food affects egg size but not hatching asynchrony in rollers. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1360-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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15
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Hahn DC. Patterns of maternal yolk hormones in eastern screech owl eggs (Megascops asio). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 172:423-9. [PMID: 21510950 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2010] [Revised: 03/26/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Owl clutches typically hatch asynchronously, and brood size hierarchies develop. In this study, we describe intra-clutch variation of testosterone, androstenedione, estradiol, and corticosterone in Eastern screech owl egg yolks. In order to assess whether these hormones may have originated in the follicle, we also characterize variation of testosterone, androstenedione, and corticosterone within the exterior, intermediate, and interior regions of the yolk. Concentrations of testosterone and androstenedione were distributed relatively evenly across egg lay order with the exception of first-laid eggs that had significantly lower concentrations of both androgens than eggs later in the laying sequence. Corticosterone and estradiol did not vary with laying order. Our results suggest that when food is abundant, yolk hormones are deposited in patterns that minimize sibling differences except to reduce dominance by the first-hatching chick. Testosterone and androstenedione concentrations varied throughout the yolk, while corticosterone was evenly distributed throughout the yolk. This supports a follicular origin for both yolk androgens, and an adrenal origin for yolk corticosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Caldwell Hahn
- USGS-Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD 20708, USA.
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloš Krist
- Museum of Natural History, nám. Republiky 5, 771 73 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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