1
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Lewden A, Ward C, Noiret A, Avril S, Abolivier L, Gérard C, Hammer TL, Raymond É, Robin JP, Viblanc VA, Bize P, Stier A. Surface temperatures are influenced by handling stress independently of corticosterone levels in wild king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus). J Therm Biol 2024; 121:103850. [PMID: 38608548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103850] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Assessing the physiological stress responses of wild animals opens a window for understanding how organisms cope with environmental challenges. Since stress response is associated with changes in body temperature, the use of body surface temperature through thermal imaging could help to measure acute and chronic stress responses non-invasively. We used thermal imaging, acute handling-stress protocol and an experimental manipulation of corticosterone (the main glucocorticoid hormone in birds) levels in breeding king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), to assess: 1. The potential contribution of the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis in mediating chronic and acute stress-induced changes in adult surface temperature, 2. The influence of HPA axis manipulation on parental investment through thermal imaging of eggs and brooded chicks, and 3. The impact of parental treatment on offspring thermal's response to acute handling. Maximum eye temperature (Teye) increased and minimum beak temperature (Tbeak) decreased in response to handling stress in adults, but neither basal nor stress-induced surface temperatures were significantly affected by corticosterone implant. While egg temperature was not significantly influenced by parental treatment, we found a surprising pattern for chicks: chicks brooded by the (non-implanted) partner of corticosterone-implanted individuals exhibited higher surface temperature (both Teye and Tbeak) than those brooded by glucocorticoid-implanted or control parents. Chick's response to handling in terms of surface temperature was characterized by a drop in both Teye and Tbeak independently of parental treatment. We conclude that the HPA axis seems unlikely to play a major role in determining chronic or acute changes in surface temperature in king penguins. Changes in surface temperature may primarily be mediated by the Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary (SAM) axis in response to stressful situations. Our experiment did not reveal a direct impact of parental HPA axis manipulation on parental investment (egg or chick temperature), but a potential influence on the partner's brooding behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Lewden
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; Université de Brest - UMR 6539 CNRS/UBO/IRD/Ifremer, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'environnement Marin - IUEM, Rue Dumont D'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France.
| | - Chelsea Ward
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Aude Noiret
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Sandra Avril
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Lucie Abolivier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Caroline Gérard
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Tracey L Hammer
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Émilie Raymond
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France; Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Patrice Robin
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Vincent A Viblanc
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Bize
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK; Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH-6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Stier
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France; Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France; Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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2
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Saulnier A, Bleu J, Boos A, Millet M, Zahn S, Ronot P, Masoudi IE, Rojas ER, Uhlrich P, Del Nero M, Massemin S. Reproductive differences between urban and forest birds across the years: importance of environmental and weather parameters. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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3
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Turcotte-van de Rydt AV, Petalas C, Sblendorio JM, Pearl CA, Gill SA, Guigueno MF. Clutch Abandoning Parasitised Yellow Warblers Have Increased Circulating Corticosterone With No Effect of Past Corticosterone or Differences in Egg Maculation Characteristics. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.711732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care can be costly to parents’ fitness. As such, abandonment of the current reproductive attempt may benefit potential future opportunities, maximising lifetime reproductive success. Obligate brood parasitism, a reproductive strategy in which parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other species and rely solely on them to raise the parasitic young, is an ideal system to study brood abandonment. Some parasitised host species have evolved anti-parasitic defences, notably clutch abandonment (egg burial and nest desertion), that may mitigate negative consequences of parasitism. Abandonment of clutches due to parasitism is not unlike abandonment of reproduction in times of stress, suggesting that host responses to parasitism could be triggered at least partly by elevated stress hormones that mediate individual decisions. Yet, the mechanistic basis for clutch abandonment remains unclear. Here, we experimentally parasitised clutches of yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia), a common host of the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), with model cowbird eggs to examine whether host circulating corticosterone (CORT) differed among females that accepted parasitic eggs or rejected them through clutch abandonment. We also assessed whether feather CORT, a measure of past corticosterone exposure, differed between accepters and abandoners. Finally, we investigated whether egg visual signals, specifically differences in maculation characteristics between model cowbird and host eggs, predicted abandonment of experimentally parasitised clutches. Circulating CORT was higher in females who abandoned their parasitised clutches, but not in those who accepted, relative to controls with no egg addition. Past stress and differences in maculation characteristics did not predict whether individuals accepted or abandoned experimentally parasitised clutches. Moreover, differences in maculation characteristics between the host and model cowbird eggs did not predict CORT levels or nest abandonment. Thus, parasitism with subsequent clutch abandonment may be associated with elevated circulating CORT, but neither past stress nor differences in maculation characteristics influenced abandonment. The combination of these results contributes to our understanding of the roles of corticosterone and egg visual signals in the context of clutch abandonment in brood parasitism specifically, and of parental care more broadly.
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Hoarau M, Angelier F, Touzalin F, Zgirski T, Parenteau C, Legagneux P. Corticosterone: foraging and fattening puppet master in pre-breeding greylag geese. Physiol Behav 2021; 246:113666. [PMID: 34875316 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113666] [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: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction is one of the most energetically costly life history stages, which impose constraints, even outside the breeding period. Capital breeders typically accumulate energy in preparation for reproduction and the amount of body mass gain prior to reproduction partly determines reproductive outcome in such species. Understanding the physiological and behavioral interplay that governs energy storage is thus essential. Pleiotropic hormones such as glucocorticoids can modulate diel and seasonal energy allocation in vertebrates. Baseline corticosterone (CORT, the main glucocorticoid hormone in birds) fluctuation can induce changes in foraging behavior and/or energy storage. In this experiment, we slightly elevated CORT levels and monitored body mass and foraging behavior prior to reproduction in semi-captive greylag geese. Birds treated either with CORT or placebo pellets inserted subcutaneously were monitored during 21 days. Same individuals were sequentially submitted to both treatments. The increase of CORT levels measured in either fecal or blood samples confirmed the slight CORT elevation in treated birds. Foraging behaviors increased (up to 9%) in the CORT treated group compared to controls only during morning observations. Birds treated with CORT increased their body mass gain by 6.3% compared to controls. This effect lasted during the first 11 days after pellet implementation. We thus confirm the central role of glucocorticoids on foraging behaviors and body mass gain in pre-nesting birds. This study opens new avenues to manipulate body condition in large-bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hoarau
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon 1045, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, G1V0A6, Québec, Canada; Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Pavillon Abitibi-Price 2405, rue de la Terrasse Local 1202, Québec, G1V 0A6, Québec, Canada
| | - F Angelier
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372- CNRS, Université de LaRochelle, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - F Touzalin
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - T Zgirski
- Département de Biologie, Univserité du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), 300, allée des Ursulines, C.P 3300. A, Rimouski, G5L3A1, Québec, Canada
| | - C Parenteau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372- CNRS, Université de LaRochelle, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - P Legagneux
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon 1045, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, G1V0A6, Québec, Canada; Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Pavillon Abitibi-Price 2405, rue de la Terrasse Local 1202, Québec, G1V 0A6, Québec, Canada; Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372- CNRS, Université de LaRochelle, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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5
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Nägeli M, Scherler P, Witczak S, Catitti B, Aebischer A, van Bergen V, Kormann U, Grüebler MU. Weather and food availability additively affect reproductive output in an expanding raptor population. Oecologia 2021; 198:125-138. [PMID: 34797425 PMCID: PMC8803806 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05076-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The joint effects of interacting environmental factors on key demographic parameters can exacerbate or mitigate the separate factors’ effects on population dynamics. Given ongoing changes in climate and land use, assessing interactions between weather and food availability on reproductive performance is crucial to understand and forecast population dynamics. By conducting a feeding experiment in 4 years with different weather conditions, we were able to disentangle the effects of weather, food availability and their interactions on reproductive parameters in an expanding population of the red kite (Milvus milvus), a conservation-relevant raptor known to be supported by anthropogenic feeding. Brood loss occurred mainly during the incubation phase, and was associated with rainfall and low food availability. In contrast, brood loss during the nestling phase occurred mostly due to low temperatures. Survival of last-hatched nestlings and nestling development was enhanced by food supplementation and reduced by adverse weather conditions. However, we found no support for interactive effects of weather and food availability, suggesting that these factors affect reproduction of red kites additively. The results not only suggest that food-weather interactions are prevented by parental life-history trade-offs, but that food availability and weather conditions are crucial separate determinants of reproductive output, and thus population productivity. Overall, our results suggest that the observed increase in spring temperatures and enhanced anthropogenic food resources have contributed to the elevational expansion and the growth of the study population during the last decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Nägeli
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Wintherthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Scherler
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland. .,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Wintherthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Stephanie Witczak
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Wintherthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benedetta Catitti
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Wintherthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Urs Kormann
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Martin U Grüebler
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
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6
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Mohring B, Angelier F, Jaatinen K, Parenteau C, Öst M. Parental Investment Under Predation Threat in Incubating Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima): A Hormonal Perspective. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.637561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation risk affects the costs and benefits of prey life-history decisions. Predation threat is often higher during reproduction, especially in conspicuous colonial breeders. Therefore, predation risk may increase the survival cost of breeding, and reduce parental investment. The impact of predation risk on avian parental investment decisions may be hormonally mediated by prolactin and corticosterone, making them ideal tools for studying the trade-offs involved. Prolactin is thought to promote parental care and commitment in birds. Corticosterone is involved in allostasis and may either mediate reduced parental investment (corticosterone-fitness hypothesis), or promote parental investment through a reallocation of resources (corticosterone-adaptation hypothesis). Here, we used these hormonal proxies of incubation commitment to examine the impact of predation risk on reproduction in common eiders (Somateria mollissima) breeding in the Baltic Sea. This eider population is subject to high but spatially and temporally variable predation pressure on adults (mainly by the white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla and introduced mammalian predators) and nests (by the adult predators and exclusive egg predators such as hooded crows Corvus cornix). We investigated baseline hormonal levels and hatching success as a function of individual quality attributes (breeding experience, female and duckling body condition), reproductive investment (clutch weight), and predation risk. We expected individuals nesting in riskier environments (i.e., on islands where predation on adults or nests is higher, or in less concealed nests) to reduce their parental investment in incubation, reflected in lower baseline prolactin levels and either higher (corticosterone-fitness hypothesis) or lower (corticosterone-adaptation hypothesis) baseline corticosterone levels. Contrary to our predictions, prolactin levels showed a positive correlation with nest predation risk. The unexpected positive relationship could result from the selective disappearance of low-quality females (presumably having low prolactin levels) from risky sites. Supporting this notion, female body condition and hatching success were positively correlated with predation risk on females, and baseline prolactin concentrations were positively correlated with duckling body condition, a proxy of maternal quality. In line with the corticosterone-adaptation hypothesis, baseline corticosterone levels increased with reproductive investment, and were negatively associated with nest predation risk. Hatching success was lower on islands where nest predation risk was higher, consistent with the idea of reduced reproductive investment under increased threat. Long-term individual-based studies are now needed to distinguish selection processes occurring at the population scale from individually plastic parental investment in relation to individual quality and variable predation risk.
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7
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Chiew SJ, Butler KL, Fanson KV, Eyre S, Coleman GJ, Sherwen SL, Melfi V, Hemsworth PH. Effects of the presence of zoo visitors on zoo-housed little penguins (Eudyptula minor). NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1896560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J. Chiew
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Kym L. Butler
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Biometrics Team, Agriculture Victoria Research, Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions, Hamilton, Australia
| | - Kerry V. Fanson
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Simon Eyre
- Department of Animal Science and Care, Wellington Zoo, Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Grahame J. Coleman
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Sally L. Sherwen
- Department of Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos Victoria, Parkville, Australia
| | - Vicky Melfi
- Animal & Agriculture Research Centre, Hartpury University, Gloucester, UK
| | - Paul H. Hemsworth
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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Boyer AC, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. High Rates of Exposure to Simulated Winter Storm Cues Negatively Affect White-Throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) Energy Reserves. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Grant AR, Baldan D, Kimball MG, Malisch JL, Ouyang JQ. Across time and space: Hormonal variation across temporal and spatial scales in relation to nesting success. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 292:113462. [PMID: 32171744 PMCID: PMC7187986 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
There is a renewed interest in investigating individual variation in hormone levels in relation to fitness metrics, as hormones act as mediators of life-history trade-offs. Hormone concentrations, however, are labile, responding to both internal and external stimuli, so the relationship between hormones and fitness can be non-consistent. One explanation of this inconsistent relationship is that a single hormone sample may not be representative of individual phenotypes in a free-living species. We addressed this issue by repeatedly sampling a free-living population of mountain white-crowned sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha, for baseline and stress-induced corticosterone (cort) and testosterone (T) across different stages of the breeding season. We measured (co)variation using three different methods, taking into account inter- and intra-individual variances, to determine whether hormone levels and the stress response are repeatable. We documented the temporal (over 3 months) and spatial (home-range) variation of individual hormone phenotypes and investigated how these components related to nesting success. At the population level, we found significant repeatability in male stress-induced cort concentrations but no repeatability in male or female baseline cort or male T concentrations. Using a new metric of intra-individual variance focusing on the stress response (profile repeatability), we found a wide range of variance scores, with most individuals showing high variation in their stress response. Similarly, we found a low level of repeatability of the reaction norm intercept and slope for the stress response across different life-history stages. Males with higher concentrations of stress-induced cort had more central home-ranges. Males with higher body condition had larger home-ranges; however, home-range size did not relate to male hormone concentrations or nesting success. We also did not find any significant relationship between variation in hormone levels and nesting success. We recommend that future studies combine both physiological and environmental components to better understand the relationship between hormones and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery R Grant
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA.
| | - Davide Baldan
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Melanie G Kimball
- Department of Biology, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Marys City, MD, USA
| | - Jessica L Malisch
- Department of Biology, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Marys City, MD, USA
| | - Jenny Q Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
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10
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Montreuil-Spencer C, Schoenemann K, Lendvai ÁZ, Bonier F. Winter corticosterone and body condition predict breeding investment in a nonmigratory bird. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Reproduction is an energetically demanding life history stage that requires costly physiological and behavioral changes, yet some individuals will invest more into reproduction and breed more successfully than others. To understand variation in reproductive investment, previous studies have evaluated factors during breeding, but conditions outside of this life history stage may also play a role. Using a free-ranging population of black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), we assessed the repeatability of plastic traits relating to energetic condition (circulating initial corticosterone concentrations and body condition) during the nonbreeding season and evaluated whether these traits predicted reproductive investment in the subsequent breeding season. We found that initial corticosterone concentrations and an index of body condition, but not fat score, were moderately repeatable over a 1-week period in winter. This trait repeatability supports the interpretation that among-individual variation in these phenotypic traits could reflect an intrinsic strategy to cope with challenging conditions across life history stages. We found that females with larger fat reserves during winter laid eggs sooner and tended to spend more time incubating their eggs and feeding their offspring. In contrast, we found that females with higher residual body mass delayed breeding, after controlling for the relationship between fat score and timing of breeding. Additionally, females with higher initial corticosterone in winter laid lighter eggs. Our findings suggest that conditions experienced outside of the breeding season may be important factors explaining variation in reproductive investment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelsey Schoenemann
- Biology Department, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Virginia Working Landscapes, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Ádám Z Lendvai
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1. Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Frances Bonier
- Biology Department, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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11
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Lattin CR, Merullo DP, Riters LV, Carson RE. In vivo imaging of D 2 receptors and corticosteroids predict behavioural responses to captivity stress in a wild bird. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10407. [PMID: 31320692 PMCID: PMC6639298 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46845-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual physiological variation may underlie individual differences in behaviour in response to stressors. This study tested the hypothesis that individual variation in dopamine and corticosteroid physiology in wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus, n = 15) would significantly predict behaviour and weight loss in response to a long-term stressor, captivity. We found that individuals that coped better with captivity (fewer anxiety-related behaviours, more time spent feeding, higher body mass) had lower baseline and higher stress-induced corticosteroid titres at capture. Birds with higher striatal D2 receptor binding (examined using positron emission tomography (PET) with 11C-raclopride 24 h post-capture) spent more time feeding in captivity, but weighed less, than birds with lower D2 receptor binding. In the subset of individuals imaged a second time, D2 receptor binding decreased in captivity in moulting birds, and larger D2 decreases were associated with increased anxiety behaviours 2 and 4 weeks post-capture. This suggests changes in dopaminergic systems could be one physiological mechanism underlying negative behavioural effects of chronic stress. Non-invasive technologies like PET have the potential to transform our understanding of links between individual variation in physiology and behaviour and elucidate which neuroendocrine phenotypes predict stress resilience, a question with important implications for both humans and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine R Lattin
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
| | - Devin P Merullo
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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13
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Snow roosting reduces temperature-associated stress in a wintering bird. Oecologia 2019; 190:309-321. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04389-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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14
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Marasco V, Boner W, Griffiths K, Heidinger B, Monaghan P. Environmental conditions shape the temporal pattern of investment in reproduction and survival. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2442. [PMID: 29298939 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between environmental stress exposure and ageing is likely to vary with stressor severity, life-history stage and the time scale over which effects are measured. Such factors could influence whether stress exposure accelerates or slows the ageing process, but their interactions have not previously been experimentally investigated. We found that experimental exposure of zebra finches to mildly challenging environmental circumstances from young to old adulthood, which increased exposure to stress hormones, reduced breeding performance during early adulthood, but had positive effects when individuals were bred in old adulthood. This difference was not due to selective mortality, because the effects were evident within individuals, and no evidence of habituation in the response to the stressor was found. The more stressful environment had no effects on survival during young or old adulthood, but substantially improved survival during middle age. Changes in the effects at different ages could be due to the duration and nature of the challenging exposure, or to variation in coping capacity or strategy with age. These results show that living under challenging environmental circumstances can influence ageing trajectories in terms of both reproductive performance and longevity. Our results provide experimental support for the emerging idea that stress exposure needs to be optimized rather than minimized to obtain the best health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Kate Griffiths
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Britt Heidinger
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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15
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Zollinger SA, Dorado-Correa A, Goymann W, Forstmeier W, Knief U, BastidasUrrutia AM, Brumm H. Traffic noise exposure depresses plasma corticosterone and delays offspring growth in breeding zebra finches. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz056. [PMID: 31620292 PMCID: PMC6788579 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The impact of human activity on the acoustic environment is overwhelming, with anthropogenic noise reaching even remote areas of the planet. The World Health Organization has identified noise pollution as one of the leading environmental health risks in humans, and it has been linked to a myriad of short- and long-term health effects in exposed individuals. However, less is known about the health effects of anthropogenic noise exposure on animals. We investigated long- and short-term effects of traffic noise on zebra finches breeding in small communal aviaries, using a repeated measures design. Birds bred in both noise and no-noise conditions, and we measured baseline plasma glucocorticoid levels before, during and after breeding. In addition, we assayed immune function, measured reproductive success and offspring growth and compared rates of extra-pair paternity of breeding adults. Breeding birds had significantly lower baseline plasma corticosterone levels when exposed to traffic noise than when they were not exposed to noise playback. In addition, the nestlings reared during noise exposure were lighter than nestlings of the same parents when breeding in control conditions. Our results suggest that traffic noise poses a more severe hurdle to birds at more vulnerable stages of their life history, such as during reproductive events and ontogeny. While chronic exposure to traffic noise in our birds did not, by itself, prove to be a sufficient stressor to cause acute effects on health or reproductive success in exposed individuals, it did result in disruptions to normal glucocorticoid profiles and delayed offspring growth. However, animals living in urban habitats are exposed to a multitude of anthropogenic disturbances, and it is likely that even species that appear to be thriving in noisy environments may suffer cumulative effects of these multiple disturbances that may together impact their fitness in urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Anne Zollinger
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, John Dalton East, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD, UK
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
- Corresponding author: Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD, UK.
| | - Adriana Dorado-Correa
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Goymann
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Knief
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152 PlaneggMartinsried, Germany
| | - Ana María BastidasUrrutia
- Biodiversity and Global Change Lab, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Technical University of Munich, HansCarlvonCarlowitzPlatz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Henrik Brumm
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, EberhardGwinnerStrasse 1, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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16
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Torres-Medina F, Cabezas S, Marchant TA, Wikelski M, Romero LM, Hau M, Carrete M, Tella JL, Blas J. Corticosterone implants produce stress-hyporesponsive birds. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.173864. [PMID: 30111557 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.173864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In birds, the use of corticosterone (Cort) implants is a frequent tool aimed at simulating systemic elevations of this hormone and studying effects on biological traits (e.g. physiology, morphology, behavior). This manipulation may alter adrenocortical function, potentially changing both baseline (CortBAS) and stress-induced (CortSTRESS) plasma Cort levels. However, implant effects on the latter trait are rarely measured, disregarding downstream consequences of potentially altered stress responses. Here, we analyzed the effects of Cort implants on both CortBAS and CortSTRESS in nestling and adult European white storks, Ciconia ciconia In addition, we performed a review of 50 studies using Cort implants in birds during the last two decades to contextualize stork results, assess researchers' patterns of use and infer current study biases. High and low doses of Cort implants resulted in a decrease of both CortBAS (31-71% below controls) and CortSTRESS (63-79% below controls) in storks. Our literature review revealed that CortBAS generally increases (72% of experiments) whereas CortSTRESS decreases (78% of experiments) following implant treatment in birds. Our results challenge and expand the prevailing assumption that Cort implants increase circulating CortBAS levels because: (i) CortBAS levels show a quadratic association with implant dose across bird species, and decreased levels may occur at both high and low implant doses, and (ii) Cort implants also decrease CortSTRESS levels, thus producing stress-hyporesponsive phenotypes. It is time to work towards a better understanding of the effects of Cort implants on adrenocortical function, before addressing downstream links to variation in other biological traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Torres-Medina
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain .,Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5E2
| | - Sonia Cabezas
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain.,Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5E2
| | - Tracy A Marchant
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5E2
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Michaela Hau
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.,Evolutionary Physiology Group. Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Martina Carrete
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain.,Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - José L Tella
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Julio Blas
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain .,Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5E2
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17
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Krause JS, Pérez JH, Chmura HE, Meddle SL, Hunt KE, Gough L, Boelman N, Wingfield JC. Weathering the storm: Do arctic blizzards cause repeatable changes in stress physiology and body condition in breeding songbirds? Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 267:183-192. [PMID: 30031732 PMCID: PMC6127033 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Severe weather events are increasing worldwide because of climate change. To cope with severe weather events, vertebrates rely on the stress response which is activated by the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis to adjust physiology and behavior. Previous studies have detailed changes in baseline concentrations of the stress hormone corticosterone during a single storm event, but little data exists on how stress physiology and body condition are adjusted as the storm progresses across multiple days. This represents a serious gap in our understanding of how birds respond physiologically over the duration of a storm. We documented arctic snowstorms that occurred over five consecutive years that were endured by Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus; 2012-2016) and in three consecutive years by white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii; 2014-2016). Data were collected on storm-free days, during snowstorms ranging in length from 1 to 3 days, and the day immediately following a snowstorm. The specific aims were to understand how stress physiology, measured at baseline and in response to restraint handling, and body condition changed over multiple days of the storm, and if these responses were consistent across years. Snowstorms did not affect baseline corticosterone concentrations for either species except for female Lapland longspurs and male white-crowned sparrows in 2014. Lapland longspurs, regardless of sex, increased stress-induced (restraint handling) corticosterone in response to snowstorms in all years but 2013, which was characterized by unusually harsh conditions. Both sexes of White-crowned sparrows showed a significant increase in the stress-induced levels of corticosterone during snowstorms in one of the three years of the study. Stress-induced corticosterone concentrations were only different across each day of the storm in one year of the study for Lapland longspurs. Changes in fat and body mass were not uniform across years, but measurable increases in fat stores and body mass were detected in males of both species during the first day of a snowstorm with declines typically occurring by the second day. Our study showed that severe weather events often caused rapid increases in HPA axis activity and body condition, but these profiles are likely dependent upon ecological and environmental context within the breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse S Krause
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Jonathan H Pérez
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Helen E Chmura
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Simone L Meddle
- The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Kathleen E Hunt
- Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Laura Gough
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA
| | - Natalie Boelman
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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18
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Sex‐dependent effects of maternal stress: Stressed moms invest less in sons than daughters. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:317-322. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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19
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Egg turning behavior and incubation temperature in Forster's terns in relation to mercury contamination. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191390. [PMID: 29447185 PMCID: PMC5813904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Egg turning behavior is an important determinant of egg hatchability, but it remains relatively understudied. Here, we examined egg turning rates and egg temperatures in Forster’s terns (Sterna forsteri). We used artificial eggs containing a data logger with a 3-D accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a temperature thermistor to monitor parental incubation behavior of 131 tern nests. Overall, adults turned their eggs an average (±SD) of 3.8 ± 0.8 turns h-1, which is nearly two times higher than that of other seabirds. Egg turning rates increased with nest initiation date. We also examined egg turning rates and egg temperatures in relation to egg mercury contamination. Mercury contamination has been shown to be associated with reduced egg hatchability, and we hypothesized that mercury may decrease egg hatchability via altered egg turning behavior by parents. Despite the high variability in egg turning rates among individuals, the rate of egg turning was not related to mercury concentrations in sibling eggs. These findings highlight the need for further study concerning the potential determinants of egg turning behavior.
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20
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Marasco V, Boner W, Griffiths K, Heidinger B, Monaghan P. Environmental conditions shape the temporal pattern of investment in reproduction and survival. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2017.2442. [PMID: 29298939 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-60984-5.00062-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between environmental stress exposure and ageing is likely to vary with stressor severity, life-history stage and the time scale over which effects are measured. Such factors could influence whether stress exposure accelerates or slows the ageing process, but their interactions have not previously been experimentally investigated. We found that experimental exposure of zebra finches to mildly challenging environmental circumstances from young to old adulthood, which increased exposure to stress hormones, reduced breeding performance during early adulthood, but had positive effects when individuals were bred in old adulthood. This difference was not due to selective mortality, because the effects were evident within individuals, and no evidence of habituation in the response to the stressor was found. The more stressful environment had no effects on survival during young or old adulthood, but substantially improved survival during middle age. Changes in the effects at different ages could be due to the duration and nature of the challenging exposure, or to variation in coping capacity or strategy with age. These results show that living under challenging environmental circumstances can influence ageing trajectories in terms of both reproductive performance and longevity. Our results provide experimental support for the emerging idea that stress exposure needs to be optimized rather than minimized to obtain the best health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Kate Griffiths
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Britt Heidinger
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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21
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Bonier F, Martin PR. How can we estimate natural selection on endocrine traits? Lessons from evolutionary biology. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1887. [PMID: 27881753 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
An evolutionary perspective can enrich almost any endeavour in biology, providing a deeper understanding of the variation we see in nature. To this end, evolutionary endocrinologists seek to describe the fitness consequences of variation in endocrine traits. Much of the recent work in our field, however, follows a flawed approach to the study of how selection shapes endocrine traits. Briefly, this approach relies on among-individual correlations between endocrine phenotypes (often circulating hormone levels) and fitness metrics to estimate selection on those endocrine traits. Adaptive plasticity in both endocrine and fitness-related traits can drive these correlations, generating patterns that do not accurately reflect natural selection. We illustrate why this approach to studying selection on endocrine traits is problematic, referring to work from evolutionary biologists who, decades ago, described this problem as it relates to a variety of other plastic traits. We extend these arguments to evolutionary endocrinology, where the likelihood that this flaw generates bias in estimates of selection is unusually high due to the exceptional responsiveness of hormones to environmental conditions, and their function to induce adaptive life-history responses to environmental variation. We end with a review of productive approaches for investigating the fitness consequences of variation in endocrine traits that we expect will generate exciting advances in our understanding of endocrine system evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Bonier
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Paul R Martin
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
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22
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Krause JS, Pérez JH, Meddle SL, Wingfield JC. Effects of short-term fasting on stress physiology, body condition, and locomotor activity in wintering male white-crowned sparrows. Physiol Behav 2017; 177:282-290. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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23
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Regan CE, Pilkington JG, Smiseth PT. Female Soay sheep do not adjust their maternal care behaviour to the quality of their home range. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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24
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Schoenle LA, Dudek AM, Moore IT, Bonier F. Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) with higher baseline glucocorticoids also invest less in incubation and clutch mass. Horm Behav 2017; 90:1-7. [PMID: 28189642 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones facilitate responses to environmental challenges by mediating diverse physiological and behavioral changes, including resource mobilization and altered reproductive effort. Elevated glucocorticoids might indicate that an individual is facing high levels of environmental challenges and thus, elevated concentrations might be associated with reduced fitness (CORT-fitness hypothesis). Alternatively, the energetic demands of reproduction might be a challenge that requires elevated glucocorticoids to mobilize resources to support reproductive effort, ultimately increasing reproductive investment and fitness (CORT-adaptation hypothesis). Investigations of glucocorticoid-fitness relationships have yielded mixed results. Variation in the direction of this relationship could be caused in part by differences in the contexts in which the relationship was assessed. Incorporating context, such as life history stage, could be key to understanding the role of glucocorticoids in influencing fitness outcomes. We investigated the relationship between corticosterone and reproductive effort and success within a single life history stage: incubation of eggs. In an observational study, we measured baseline corticosterone in incubating female red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), monitored incubation behavior, and determined hatching success for each nest. Incubating birds with higher baseline corticosterone concentrations had more frequent, shorter incubation bouts and spent less time overall incubating their clutches of eggs than birds with lower corticosterone concentrations. Elevated corticosterone was also associated with lower clutch mass, but neither corticosterone nor incubation effort were correlated with hatching success. Although experimental tests are needed to establish causation, these results suggest that during the incubation period, corticosterone might shift resource investment towards self-maintenance, and away from current reproductive effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Schoenle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry St., Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States.
| | - Alana M Dudek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry St., Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States.
| | - Ignacio T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry St., Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States.
| | - Frances Bonier
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry St., Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States; Biology Department, Queen's University, Biosciences Complex 3523, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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25
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Griffith SC, Crino OL, Andrew SC, Nomano FY, Adkins-Regan E, Alonso-Alvarez C, Bailey IE, Bittner SS, Bolton PE, Boner W, Boogert N, Boucaud ICA, Briga M, Buchanan KL, Caspers BA, Cichoń M, Clayton DF, Derégnaucourt S, Forstmeier W, Guillette LM, Hartley IR, Healy SD, Hill DL, Holveck MJ, Hurley LL, Ihle M, Tobias Krause E, Mainwaring MC, Marasco V, Mariette MM, Martin-Wintle MS, McCowan LSC, McMahon M, Monaghan P, Nager RG, Naguib M, Nord A, Potvin DA, Prior NH, Riebel K, Romero-Haro AA, Royle NJ, Rutkowska J, Schuett W, Swaddle JP, Tobler M, Trompf L, Varian-Ramos CW, Vignal C, Villain AS, Williams TD. Variation in Reproductive Success Across Captive Populations: Methodological Differences, Potential Biases and Opportunities. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon C. Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Ondi L. Crino
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Samuel C. Andrew
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Fumiaki Y. Nomano
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Psychology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior; Cornell University; Ithaca NY USA
| | - Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) - CSIC-UCLM-JCCM; Ciudad Real Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC; Madrid Spain
| | - Ida E. Bailey
- School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews, Fife UK
| | | | - Peri E. Bolton
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Neeltje Boogert
- School of Psychology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews, Fife UK
| | - Ingrid C. A. Boucaud
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Michael Briga
- Behavioural Biology; University of Groningen; Groningen The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Cracow Poland
| | - David F. Clayton
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | | | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
| | | | - Ian R. Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Susan D. Healy
- School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews, Fife UK
| | - Davina L. Hill
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Marie-Jeanne Holveck
- Institute of Biology; University of Leiden; Leiden The Netherlands
- Biodiversity Research Centre; Earth and Life Institute; Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL); Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium
| | - Laura L. Hurley
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Malika Ihle
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
| | - E. Tobias Krause
- Department of Animal Behaviour; Bielefeld University; Bielefeld Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry; Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut; Celle Germany
| | - Mark C. Mainwaring
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Valeria Marasco
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Mylene M. Mariette
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Geelong VIC Australia
| | - Meghan S. Martin-Wintle
- Conservation and Research Department; PDXWildlife; Portland OR USA
- Applied Animal Ecology; Institute for Conservation Research; San Diego Zoo Global; Escondido CA USA
| | - Luke S. C. McCowan
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Maeve McMahon
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Ruedi G. Nager
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Marc Naguib
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Animal Sciences; Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø Norway
| | - Dominique A. Potvin
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research; University of Western Ontario; London ON Canada
| | - Nora H. Prior
- Zoology Department; University of British Columbia; Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Katharina Riebel
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Ana A. Romero-Haro
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) - CSIC-UCLM-JCCM; Ciudad Real Spain
| | - Nick J. Royle
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation; University of Exeter; Penryn UK
| | - Joanna Rutkowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Cracow Poland
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Zoological Institute; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | - John P. Swaddle
- Biology Department; Institute for Integrative Bird Behaviour Studies; The College of William and Mary; Williamsburg VA USA
| | | | - Larissa Trompf
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Claire W. Varian-Ramos
- Biology Department; Institute for Integrative Bird Behaviour Studies; The College of William and Mary; Williamsburg VA USA
| | - Clémentine Vignal
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Avelyne S. Villain
- CNRS UMR 9197 NeuroPSI/ENES; Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Tony D. Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences; Simon Fraser University; Burnaby BC Canada
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26
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Madliger CL, Love OP. Conservation implications of a lack of relationship between baseline glucocorticoids and fitness in a wild passerine. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:2730-2743. [PMID: 27763712 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The application of physiological measures to conservation monitoring has been gaining momentum and, while a suite of physiological traits are available to ascertain disturbance and condition in wildlife populations, glucocorticoids (i.e., GCs; cortisol and corticosterone) are the most heavily employed. The interpretation of GC levels as sensitive indicators of population change necessitates that GCs and metrics of population persistence are linked. However, the relationship between GCs and fitness may be highly context-dependent, changing direction, or significance, depending on the GC measure, fitness metric, life history stage, or other intrinsic and extrinsic contexts considered. We examined the relationship between baseline plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels measured at two periods of the breeding season and three metrics of fitness (offspring quality, reproductive output, and adult survival) in female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Specifically, we investigated whether (1) a relationship between baseline CORT metrics and fitness exists in our population, (2) whether the inclusion of energetic contexts, such as food availability, reproductive investment, or body mass, could alter or improve the strength of the relationship between CORT and fitness, and (3) whether energetic contexts could better predict fitness compared to CORT metrics. Importantly, we investigated these relationships in both natural conditions and under an experimental manipulation of foraging profitability (feather clipping) to determine the influence of an environmental constraint on GC-fitness relationships. We found a lack of relationship between baseline CORT and both short- and long-term metrics of fitness in control and clipped birds. In contrast, loss in body mass over reproduction positively predicted reproductive output (number of chicks leaving the nest) in control birds; however, the relationship was characterized by a low R2 (5%), limiting the predictive capacity, and therefore the application potential, of such a measure in a conservation setting. Our results stress the importance of ground-truthing GC-fitness relationships and indicate that baseline GCs will likely not be easily employed as conservation biomarkers across some species and life history stages. Given the accumulating evidence of temporally dynamic, inconsistent, and context-dependent GC-fitness relationships, placing effort towards directly measuring fitness traits, rather than plasma GC levels, will likely be more worthwhile for many conservation endeavours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Madliger
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
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Krause JS, Pérez JH, Chmura HE, Meddle SL, Hunt KE, Gough L, Boelman N, Wingfield JC. The stress response is attenuated during inclement weather in parental, but not in pre-parental, Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) breeding in the Low Arctic. Horm Behav 2016; 83:68-74. [PMID: 27215934 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Birds breeding at high latitudes can be faced with extreme weather events throughout the breeding season. In response to environmental perturbations, vertebrates activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and synthesize corticosterone, which promotes changes in behavior and physiology to help the animal survive. The parental care hypothesis suggests that the HPA axis activity should be downregulated during the parental stage of breeding to prevent nest abandonment. However, it is unknown what happens to HPA axis activity in response to severe weather at the transition from the pre-parental to parental stages of breeding. We sampled baseline corticosterone levels and the time course of corticosterone elevation over 60min of restraint stress and assessed body condition and fat stores in Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) breeding in the Low Arctic in the presence and absence of snowstorms. The results showed that during the pre-parental stage, HPA axis activity was up-regulated in response to snowstorms, with corticosterone levels continuing to increase through 60min of restraint. However, once birds were parental, HPA axis activity was unaffected by snowstorms and levels peaked at 10min. Fat levels and body condition did not change in response to snowstorms but fat levels declined in males during the pre-parental stage. These data suggest that the parental care hypothesis can be applied to severe storm events; parental birds restrained the activity of the HPA axis, likely to focus on the reproductive effort that is already underway, while pre-parental birds greatly upregulated HPA axis activity in response to snowstorms to maximize self-preservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse S Krause
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Jonathan H Pérez
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Helen E Chmura
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Simone L Meddle
- The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Laura Gough
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA
| | - Natalie Boelman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Greater rhea (Rhea americana) external morphology at different stages of embryonic and fetal development. Anim Reprod Sci 2015; 162:43-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Ouyang JQ, Lendvai Á, Dakin R, Domalik AD, Fasanello VJ, Vassallo BG, Haussmann MF, Moore IT, Bonier F. Weathering the storm: parental effort and experimental manipulation of stress hormones predict brood survival. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:219. [PMID: 26438064 PMCID: PMC4595110 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0497-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unpredictable and inclement weather is increasing in strength and frequency, challenging organisms to respond adaptively. One way in which animals respond to environmental challenges is through the secretion of glucocorticoid stress hormones. These hormones mobilize energy stores and suppress non-essential physiological and behavioral processes until the challenge passes. To investigate the effects of glucocorticoids on reproductive decisions, we experimentally increased corticosterone levels (the primary glucocorticoid in birds) in free-living female tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, during the chick-rearing stage. Due to an unprecedented cold and wet breeding season, 90 % of the nests in our study population failed, which created a unique opportunity to test how challenging environmental conditions interact with the physiological mechanisms underlying life-history trade-offs. RESULTS We found that exogenous corticosterone influenced the regulation of parental decisions in a context-dependent manner. Control and corticosterone-treated females had similar brood failure rates under unfavorable conditions (cold and rainy weather), but corticosterone treatment hastened brood mortality under more favorable conditions. Higher female nest provisioning rates prior to implantation were associated with increased probability of brood survival for treatment and control groups. However, higher pre-treatment male provisioning rates were associated with increased survival probability in the control group, but not the corticosterone-treated group. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal complex interactions between weather, female physiological state, and partner parental investment. Our results also demonstrate a causal relationship between corticosterone concentrations and individual reproductive behaviors, and point to a mechanism for why naturally disturbed populations, which experience multiple stressors, could be more susceptible and unable to respond adaptively to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Q Ouyang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA. .,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,Present address: NIOO-KNAW, P.O.Box 50, , 6700 AB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Áz Lendvai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA.,Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - R Dakin
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - A D Domalik
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
| | - V J Fasanello
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, USA
| | - B G Vassallo
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, USA
| | - M F Haussmann
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, USA
| | - I T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA
| | - F Bonier
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA.,Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
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Breeding on the leading edge of a northward range expansion: differences in morphology and the stress response in the arctic Gambel's white-crowned sparrow. Oecologia 2015; 180:33-44. [PMID: 26423267 PMCID: PMC4698297 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3447-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Individuals at the forefront of a range shift are likely to exhibit phenotypic traits that distinguish them from the population breeding within the historic range. Recent studies have examined morphological, physiological and behavioral phenotypes of individuals at the edge of their range. Several studies have found differences in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity in response to acute restraint stress in individuals at the range limits. HPA axis activation leads to elevations in glucocorticoids that regulate physiology and behavior. Here we compare the hormonal profiles and morphometrics from Gambel’s white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) breeding at the northern limit of the population’s range to those birds breeding within the historic population range. Birds breeding at the northern limit experienced a harsher environment with colder temperatures; however, we found no differences in arthropod prey biomass between the northern limit and more southern (historic) sites. Males at the northern limit had higher body condition scores (mass corrected for body size) compared to individuals within the historic range, but no differences were found in beak and tarsus lengths, wing chord, muscle profile or fat stores. In males during the pre-parental stage, before breeding commenced, HPA axis activity was elevated in birds at the northern limit of the range, but no differences were found during the parental or molt stages. Females showed no differences in HPA axis activity during the parental stage. This study suggests that “pioneering” individuals at the limits of their breeding range exhibit physiology and morphology that are distinct from individuals within the historic range.
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Potvin DA, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Traffic noise affects embryo mortality and nestling growth rates in captive zebra finches. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 323:722-730. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dominique A. Potvin
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research; University of Western Ontario; London Canada
- Department of Psychology; University of Western Ontario; London Canada
| | - Scott A. MacDougall-Shackleton
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research; University of Western Ontario; London Canada
- Department of Psychology; University of Western Ontario; London Canada
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Sopinka NM, Patterson LD, Redfern JC, Pleizier NK, Belanger CB, Midwood JD, Crossin GT, Cooke SJ. Manipulating glucocorticoids in wild animals: basic and applied perspectives. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 3:cov031. [PMID: 27293716 PMCID: PMC4778459 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cov031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
One of the most comprehensively studied responses to stressors in vertebrates is the endogenous production and regulation of glucocorticoids (GCs). Extensive laboratory research using experimental elevation of GCs in model species is instrumental in learning about stressor-induced physiological and behavioural mechanisms; however, such studies fail to inform our understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes in the wild. We reviewed emerging research that has used GC manipulations in wild vertebrates to assess GC-mediated effects on survival, physiology, behaviour, reproduction and offspring quality. Within and across taxa, exogenous manipulation of GCs increased, decreased or had no effect on traits examined in the reviewed studies. The notable diversity in responses to GC manipulation could be associated with variation in experimental methods, inherent differences among species, morphs, sexes and age classes, and the ecological conditions in which responses were measured. In their current form, results from experimental studies may be applied to animal conservation on a case-by-case basis in contexts such as threshold-based management. We discuss ways to integrate mechanistic explanations for changes in animal abundance in altered environments with functional applications that inform conservation practitioners of which species and traits may be most responsive to environmental change or human disturbance. Experimental GC manipulation holds promise for determining mechanisms underlying fitness impairment and population declines. Future work in this area should examine multiple life-history traits, with consideration of individual variation and, most importantly, validation of GC manipulations within naturally occurring and physiologically relevant ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie M. Sopinka
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Lucy D. Patterson
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Julia C. Redfern
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Naomi K. Pleizier
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Cassia B. Belanger
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Jon D. Midwood
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Glenn T. Crossin
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2
| | - Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
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Crossin GT, Love OP, Cooke SJ, Williams TD. Glucocorticoid manipulations in free‐living animals: considerations of dose delivery, life‐history context and reproductive state. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Glenn T. Crossin
- Biology Department Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
| | - Oliver P. Love
- Biology Department University of Windsor Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology & Conservation Physiology Laboratory Institute of Environmental Science and Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | - Tony D. Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
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Nelson BF, Daunt F, Monaghan P, Wanless S, Butler A, Heidinger BJ, Newell M, Dawson A. Protracted treatment with corticosterone reduces breeding success in a long-lived bird. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 210:38-45. [PMID: 25449182 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Determining the physiological mechanisms underpinning life-history decisions is essential for understanding the constraints under which life-history strategies can evolve. In long-lived species, where the residual reproductive value of breeders is high, adult survival is a key contributor to lifetime reproductive success. We therefore expect that when adult survival is compromised during reproduction, mechanisms will evolve to redirect resources away from reproduction, with implications for reproductive hormones, adult body mass, nest attendance behaviour and breeding success. We investigated whether manipulating corticosterone, to simulate exposure to an environmental stressor, affected the secretion of prolactin and breeding success in the black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla. We used implanted Alzet® osmotic pumps to administer corticosterone to incubating kittiwakes at a constant rate over a period of approximately 8days. Manipulated birds were compared with sham implanted birds and control birds, which had no implants. There was no significant difference in the body mass of captured individuals at the time of implantation and implant removal. Corticosterone-implanted males showed lower nest attendance during the chick rearing period compared to sham-implanted males; the opposite pattern was found in females. Corticosterone treated birds showed a marginally significant reduction in breeding success compared to sham-implanted individuals, with all failures occurring at least 1week after implant removal. However, prolactin concentrations at implant removal were not significantly different from initial values. We were unable to measure the profile of change in corticosterone during the experiment. However, our results suggest a delayed effect of elevated corticosterone on breeding success rather than an immediate suppression of prolactin concentrations causing premature failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany F Nelson
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Pat Monaghan
- University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Wanless
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Butler
- Biomathematics & Statistics Scotland, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Britt J Heidinger
- University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Newell
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
| | - Alistair Dawson
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, United Kingdom.
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Angelier F, Wingfield JC, Parenteau C, Pellé M, Chastel O. Does short-term fasting lead to stressed-out parents? A study of incubation commitment and the hormonal stress responses and recoveries in snow petrels. Horm Behav 2015; 67:28-37. [PMID: 25456104 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The hormonal stress response is flexible and can be modulated by individuals according to its costs and benefits. Therefore, it is predicted that parents in poor body condition should modify their hormonal stress response, and thus, redirect energy allocation processes from parental care to self-maintenance when stressors occur. To test this prediction, most studies on free-living vertebrates have only focused on the stress response while the stress recovery - how quickly hormonal levels return to baseline values - has been neglected. Moreover, most studies have only focused on corticosterone - the primary mediator of allostasis - without paying attention to prolactin despite its major role in mediating parental behaviors. Here, we examined the effect of a short-term fasting event on the corticosterone and prolactin stress responses and recoveries, and we subsequently explored their relationships with parental decision in the snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea). By comparing the hormonal profiles of fasting and non-fasting snow petrels, we showed that parents modulate their corticosterone (but not prolactin) stress response according to their energetic status. We also described for the first time the hormonal stress recoveries in wild birds and found that they did not differ between fasting and non-fasting birds. Importantly, egg neglect was negatively correlated with circulating prolactin but not corticosterone levels in this species, demonstrating therefore a complex link between body condition, parental behavior and circulating corticosterone and prolactin levels. We suggest that both corticosterone and prolactin play a major role in the way parents adjust to stressors. This multiple signaling may allow parents to fine-tune their response to stressors, and especially, to activate specific allostasis-related mechanisms in a timely manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - John C Wingfield
- Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior Department, University of CA, Davis, USA
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Marie Pellé
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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Elliott KH, O'Reilly KM, Hatch SA, Gaston AJ, Hare JF, Anderson WG. The prudent parent meets old age: a high stress response in very old seabirds supports the terminal restraint hypothesis. Horm Behav 2014; 66:828-37. [PMID: 25448533 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The reproductive success of wild animals usually increases with age before declining at the end of life, but the proximate mechanisms underlying those patterns remain elusive. Young animals are expected to invest less in current reproduction due to high prospects for future reproduction (the "restraint" hypothesis). The oldest animals may also show restraint when conditions are sub-optimal where even a small increase in reproductive investment may lead to death ("terminal restraint"). Alternatively, reproduction may be constrained by lack of experience and senescence (the "constraint" hypothesis). In two species of breeding seabirds, behavioural (time to return the offspring, calmness during restraint) and physiological (metabolism, glucose and corticosterone) parameters responded similarly to stress with advancing age, implying a generalized stress response. Across those parameters, birds were "shy" (high stress response) when young or old, and "bold" (low stress response) when middle-aged. Specifically, free corticosterone, the principal avian glucocorticoid responsible for directing energy away from reproduction and towards immediate survival following stress, was highest in both young and very old stressed birds. All age groups had a similar adrenal capacity to produce corticosterone, implying that middle-aged birds were showing restraint. Because the stress response, was highest at ages when the probability of current reproduction was lowest rather than at ages when the probability of future reproduction was highest we concluded that birds restrained reproductive investment based on current conditions rather than potential future opportunities. In particular, old birds showed terminal restraint when stressed. Hormonal cues promoted investment in adult survival over reproductive output at both the start and end of life consistent with the restraint hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | | | - Scott A Hatch
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Anthony J Gaston
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - James F Hare
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - W Gary Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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Shaffer SA, Clatterbuck CA, Kelsey EC, Naiman AD, Young LC, VanderWerf EA, Warzybok P, Bradley R, Jahncke J, Bower GC. As the egg turns: monitoring egg attendance behavior in wild birds using novel data logging technology. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97898. [PMID: 24887441 PMCID: PMC4041652 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Egg turning is unique to birds and critical for embryonic development in most avian species. Technology that can measure changes in egg orientation and temperature at fine temporal scales (1 Hz) was neither readily available nor small enough to fit into artificial eggs until recently. Here we show the utility of novel miniature data loggers equipped with 3-axis (i.e., triaxial) accelerometers, magnetometers, and a temperature thermistor to study egg turning behavior in free-ranging birds. Artificial eggs containing egg loggers were deployed in the nests of three seabird species for 1-7 days of continuous monitoring. These species (1) turned their eggs more frequently (up to 6.5 turns h(-1)) than previously reported for other species, but angular changes were often small (1-10° most common), (2) displayed similar mean turning rates (ca. 2 turns h(-1)) despite major differences in reproductive ecology, and (3) demonstrated distinct diurnal cycling in egg temperatures that varied between 1.4 and 2.4 °C. These novel egg loggers revealed high-resolution, three-dimensional egg turning behavior heretofore never measured in wild birds. This new form of biotechnology has broad applicability for addressing fundamental questions in avian breeding ecology, life history, and development, and can be used as a tool to monitor birds that are sensitive to disturbance while breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A. Shaffer
- San José State University, Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose, California, United States of America
| | - Corey A. Clatterbuck
- San José State University, Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose, California, United States of America
| | - Emma C. Kelsey
- San José State University, Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose, California, United States of America
| | - Alex D. Naiman
- Stanford University, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Lindsay C. Young
- Pacific Rim Conservation, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | | | - Pete Warzybok
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, United States of America
| | - Russell Bradley
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, United States of America
| | - Jaime Jahncke
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, United States of America
| | - Geoff C. Bower
- Stanford University, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford, California, United States of America
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Anderson L, Cree A, Towns D, Nelson N. Modulation of corticosterone secretion in tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus): Evidence of a dampened stress response in gravid females. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 201:45-52. [PMID: 24713446 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Revised: 03/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Baseline and stress response glucocorticoid (GC) secretion can be modulated by individuals to support activities and physiological functions connected with reproduction (migration, mating, oviposition and/or parturition, care of young). Corticosterone (CORT) is the primary GC in reptiles and, in accordance with other vertebrates, an adrenocortical stress response is observed. Modulation of CORT secretion occurs in several reptile species, such that elevated baseline CORT concentration and/or a dampened CORT response are common during reproductive life-history events. We investigated CORT secretion after 24 h capture-restraint in the oviparous tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), the last living rhynchocephalian, and tested whether gravid females have a dampened CORT response compared with non-gravid females. We also included males as a comparison. We confirmed that gravid females have significantly higher baseline plasma CORT concentrations than non-gravid females, suggesting increased CORT secretion during nesting. Furthermore, we found that gravid females exhibit a dampened CORT response compared to non-gravid females and males. Our results demonstrate that female reproductive condition influences CORT secretion in tuatara, and suggest that gravid females modulate CORT secretion during nesting to maintain homeostasis, effectively increasing chances of reproductive success and promoting overall fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Anderson
- Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
| | - Alison Cree
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| | - David Towns
- Ecosystem Development Team, Science and Technical Group, Department of Conservation, Private Bag 68-908 Newton, Auckland 1145, New Zealand.
| | - Nicola Nelson
- Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
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Barreto RE, Barbosa-Júnior A, Urbinati EC, Hoffmann A. Cortisol influences the antipredator behavior induced by chemical alarm cues in the Frillfin goby. Horm Behav 2014; 65:394-400. [PMID: 24657662 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated the effect of increased plasma cortisol levels on fish antipredator behavior induced by conspecific chemical alarm cues. The experimental model for the study was the Frillfin goby Bathygobius soporator. We first confirmed that the alarm substance induces typical defensive antipredator responses in Frillfin gobies and described their alarm substance cells (epidermal 'club' cells). Second, we confirmed that intraperitoneal cortisol implants increase plasma cortisol levels in this species. We then demonstrated that exogenous cortisol administration and subsequent exposure to an alarm substance decreased swimming activity to a greater extent than the activity prompted by either stimulus alone. In addition, cortisol did not abolish the sheltering response to the alarm chemical cue even though it decreased activity. As predators use prey movements to guide their first contact with the prey, a factor that decreases swimming activity clearly increases the probability of survival. Consequently, this observation indicates that cortisol helps improve the antipredator response in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Egydio Barreto
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Caunesp, Campus de Botucatu - Rubião Jr., 18618-970 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Augusto Barbosa-Júnior
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia Comparada, Departamento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, USP, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elisabeth Criscuolo Urbinati
- Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Caunesp, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castelane, 14884-900 Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anette Hoffmann
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia Comparada, Departamento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, USP, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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41
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Thierry AM, Brajon S, Spée M, Raclot T. Differential effects of increased corticosterone on behavior at the nest and reproductive output of chick-rearing Adélie penguins. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1685-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Thierry AM, Brajon S, Massemin S, Handrich Y, Chastel O, Raclot T. Decreased prolactin levels reduce parental commitment, egg temperatures, and breeding success of incubating male Adélie penguins. Horm Behav 2013; 64:737-47. [PMID: 23770271 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2013] [Revised: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Hormones regulate many aspects of an individual's phenotype, including various physiological and behavioral traits. Two hormones have been described as important players in the regulation of parental investment in birds: the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone and prolactin, a pituitary hormone, widely involved in mediating parental behavior. In comparison with corticosterone, the role of prolactin on parental investment remains poorly documented, and most studies so far have been correlative. In this study, the effects of an experimental decrease of prolactin levels on the incubation behavior of a long-lived seabird species were assessed. Male Adélie penguins were treated with self-degradable bromocriptine pellets, inhibiting prolactin secretion. Filming and subsequent video analysis allowed the determination of a behavioral time budget for birds and their position on the nest, while dummy eggs recorded incubation parameters. Incubation duration and breeding success at hatching were also monitored. As expected, bromocriptine-treatment significantly decreased plasma prolactin levels, but did not affect corticosterone levels. The behavioral time budget of penguins was not affected by the treatment. However, treated birds spent significantly more time in an upright position on the nest. These birds also incubated their eggs at lower temperatures and turned their eggs more frequently than controls, resulting in a lengthened incubation period. Despite this, the treatment was insufficient to trigger nest desertion and eggs of treated birds still hatched, indicating that several endocrine signals are required for the induction of nest abandonment. We suggest that the decreased prolactin levels in treated birds offset their timeline of breeding, so that birds displayed behavior typical of early incubation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Mathilde Thierry
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC-DEPE, Strasbourg, France; CNRS, UMR7178, Strasbourg, France.
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Thierry AM, Ropert-Coudert Y, Raclot T. Elevated corticosterone levels decrease reproductive output of chick-rearing Adélie penguins but do not affect chick mass at fledging. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 1:cot007. [PMID: 27293591 PMCID: PMC4732446 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cot007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Revised: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2013] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Study of physiological mechanisms can help us to understand how animals respond to changing environmental conditions. In particular, stress hormones (i.e. glucocorticoids, such as corticosterone) are described as mediating resource allocation, allowing animals to adjust their physiology and behaviour to predictable and unpredictable changes in the environment. In this study, we investigated the effects of an experimental increase in baseline corticosterone levels on the breeding effort and the reproductive output of chick-rearing male Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). The number of chicks per nest, their body mass, and their size were monitored throughout the study. Direct observations allowed measurement of the time spent foraging at sea and caring for the young on the nest. At the end of the treatment, blood samples were collected for isotope analysis. Although all birds raised at least one chick, reproductive output was decreased by 42% in corticosterone-treated birds compared with control birds. The increase in corticosterone levels during the guard stage did not affect the mass of surviving chicks or the brood mass at fledging. Corticosterone-treated males spent on average 21% more time at the nest than control birds. However, the duration of foraging trips was similar between both groups. In addition, the similarity of isotopic signatures suggests that both groups foraged at similar locations and ingested the same prey species. The detailed on-land behaviour of birds should be examined in further studies to clarify the possible links between corticosterone levels, brooding time, and reproductive output. Understanding the relationships between glucocorticoids, fitness, and ultimately population dynamics is fundamental to enabling conservation physiology as a discipline to be successful in helping to manage species of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Mathilde Thierry
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR7178, 67037 Strasbourg, France
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR7178, 67037 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thierry Raclot
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR7178, 67037 Strasbourg, France
- Corresponding author: IPHC, DEPE, UMR 7178 CNRS-UdS, 23 rue Becquerel, F-67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
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