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Lendvai ÁZ, Tóth Z, Mahr K, Osváth G, Vogel-Kindgen S, Gander BA. Effects of experimental increase in insulin-like growth factor 1 on feather growth rate, moult intensity and feather quality in a passerine bird. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269142. [PMID: 34124749 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Moulting is a crucial, yet often overlooked life-history stage in many animals, when they renew their integumental structures. This life-history stage is an energetically demanding somatic growth event that has particular importance in birds because feathers play a crucial role in flight, insulation and communication. Somatic growth processes are regulated by the evolutionarily conserved peptide hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). However, the role of IGF-1 in feather growth remains unknown. In this study, we captured 41 juvenile free-living bearded reedlings (Panurus biarmicus) that had started their first complete moult and brought them into captivity. Then, we manipulated their circulating IGF-1 levels using poly-(lactic-co-glycolid acid) microparticles (microspheres) that provide a sustained release of IGF-1. The treatment increased IGF-1 levels but did not affect the feather growth rate. However, 2 weeks after the treatment, birds in the increased IGF-1 group were moulting more feathers simultaneously than the controls and were at a more advanced stage of moult. Birds with experimentally increased IGF-1 levels had better quality feathers (measured by a lower number of fault bars) than the controls. These results suggest that an increase in IGF-1 does not speed up feather growth, but may alter moult intensity by initiating the renewal of several feathers simultaneously. This may shorten the overall moulting time but may imply costs in terms of IGF-1-induced oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Z Lendvai
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Tóth
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.,Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School of Biology and Environmental Sciences , University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Katharina Mahr
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.,Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gergely Osváth
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.,Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School of Biology and Environmental Sciences , University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.,Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Museum of Zoology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Bruno A Gander
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Insulin-like growth factor 1 is related to the expression of plumage traits in a passerine species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2821-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Avian plumage colors and ornaments are excellent models to study the endocrine mechanisms linking sexually selected traits and individual parameters of quality and condition. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is an evolutionarily highly conserved peptide hormone. Its regulatory role in cell proliferation and differentiation and its high sensitivity to the nutritional state of individuals suggest it as an interesting candidate, possibly providing a link between body condition and individual capacity to grow elaborated ornamental features. We investigated whether IGF-1 levels during molting correlate with the expression of multiple ornaments in a sexually dichromatic passerine species, the bearded reedling (Panurus biarmicus). We collected blood samples of males and females shortly before the molting completed and measured the size and colors of ornamental traits. Our results indicate that in males, structural plumage colors, the size of the melanin-based ornament (beard), and tail length are independent traits. IGF-1 levels are associated with the length of the tail and the expression of male structural plumage components (UV coloration), but not the melanin-based ornament. In females, plumage color and tail length were independent traits, which were not related to IGF-1 levels. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that IGF-1 could play a role in the development of secondary sexual characters in a bird species.
Significance statement
IGF-1 is an evolutionarily highly conserved peptide hormone, which recently entered the center stage of research enquiry in evolutionary biology. It is considered as one of the key factors shaping individual life histories, but little is known about its effects on sexually selected traits. We investigated whether IGF-1 levels during molting predict the elaboration of multiple ornamental plumage traits in male and female bearded reedlings (Panurus biarmicus). Our results indicate that higher IGF-1 levels had positive effects on male structural plumage colors and tail feather length. This is the first study, bringing indication for a potential role of IGF-1 in the expression of plumage ornaments in a bird species. Our findings suggest that IGF-1 might serve as an ideal candidate to study the mechanisms linking condition and the capacity to develop sexually selected ornaments.
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Hare RM, Simmons LW. Sexual selection and its evolutionary consequences in female animals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:929-956. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin M. Hare
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009 Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009 Australia
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Courtiol A, Etienne L, Feron R, Godelle B, Rousset F. The Evolution of Mutual Mate Choice under Direct Benefits. Am Nat 2016; 188:521-538. [PMID: 27788341 DOI: 10.1086/688658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
In nature, the intensity of mate choice (i.e., choosiness) is highly variable within and between sexes. Despite growing empirical evidence of male and/or mutual mate choice, theoretical investigations of the joint evolution of female and male choosiness are few. In addition, previous approaches have often assumed an absence of trade-off between the direct benefits per mating and the lower mating rate that results from being choosy. Here we model the joint evolution of female and male choosiness when it is solely ruled by this fundamental trade-off. We show that this trade-off can generate a diversity of stable combinations of choosiness. Mutual mate choice can evolve only if both females and males exhibit long latency after mating. Furthermore, we show that an increase in choosiness in one sex does not necessarily prevent the evolution of mutual mate choice; the outcome depends on details shaping the trade-off: the life history, the decision rule for mate choice, and how the fecundity of a pair is shaped by the quality of both individuals. Last, we discuss the power of the sensitivity of the relative searching time (i.e., of the proportion of a lifetime spent searching for mates) as a predictor of the joint evolution of choosiness.
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Griggio M, Hoi H, Lukasch B, Pilastro A. Context-dependent female preference for multiple ornaments in the bearded reedling. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:493-501. [PMID: 26843933 PMCID: PMC4729251 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
While it is well established that females prefer to mate with well‐ornamented males, the influence of perceptive and cognitive processes on the expression of female mate choice is still poorly known. It has been suggested that the female perception of a male's attractiveness is not absolute, but depends on the other males with which he is compared that have been previously encountered (comparative evaluation). We investigated whether mate preference in bearded reedlings (Panurus biarmicus) is dependent on or independent of social context in relation to two different traits: beard and tail lengths. Each female had a choice between two to three males with different modifications of beard and tail. For each female, three different experiments were conducted (one binary and two trinary tests). We found that when females are presented with options that vary antagonistically with respect to two ornaments (binary test), some individuals prefer one trait while others the other trait. This indicates that in our bearded reedlings population exists a mate preference polymorphisms. Moreover, we found that the presence of a third stimulus, irrespective of the initial preference, reduced the strength of the initial preference – what we can call a “preference dilution effect.” Our results suggest that the female's choice may be constrained by her cognitive abilities when she is simultaneously presented with several options varying for two uncorrelated traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Griggio
- Dipartimento di Biologia Università di Padova Via U. Bassi 58/B I-35131 Padova Italy
| | - Herbert Hoi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna Savoyenstrasse 1/A A-1160 Vienna Austria
| | - Barbara Lukasch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna Savoyenstrasse 1/A A-1160 Vienna Austria
| | - Andrea Pilastro
- Dipartimento di Biologia Università di Padova Via U. Bassi 58/B I-35131 Padova Italy
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Tóth Z, Baldan D, Albert C, Hoi H, Griggio M. Effect of ornament manipulations on following relations in male bearded reedlings. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2015.1030782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Hoi H, Griggio M. Bearded reedlings adjust their pair-bond behaviour in relation to the sex and attractiveness of unpaired conspecifics. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32806. [PMID: 22393449 PMCID: PMC3290599 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2011] [Accepted: 02/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
An individual's investment in mating or keeping a pair bond intact may be influenced not only by the attractiveness of its current mate, but also by that of other potential mates. In this study, we investigated the effect of relative attractiveness on pair-bond behaviour in bearded reedlings, Panurus biarmicus. We showed that mate attractiveness, in terms of beard length in males and tail length in females, influenced courtship behaviour when the pair was kept isolated. In the presence of a conspecific, contact initiations within a pair increased. This increment was mainly related to the sex of the unpaired conspecific, however, and less to differences in attractiveness between the current partner and the unpaired conspecific. Female contact initiations towards potential extra mates were independent of male attractiveness, whereas male contact behaviour was significantly influenced by female attractiveness. However, females displayed more contact initiations to their current mate when they were less attractive than the unpaired females. Males decreased their overtures towards other females with increasing attractiveness of their current mates. Overall, our results suggested that, when there was a risk of losing their mate, bearded reedlings adjust their pair-bond investment mainly in response to the presence or absence of a competitor, and fine-tune investment to a lesser extent in response to the attractiveness of that potential competitor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matteo Griggio
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
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Salehialavi Y, Fritzsche K, Arnqvist G. The cost of mating and mutual mate choice in 2 role–reversed honey locust beetles. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Griggio M, Valera F, Casas-Crivillé A, Hoi H, Barbosa A. White tail markings are an indicator of quality and affect mate preference in rock sparrows. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-1067-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Van Rooij EP, Griffith SC. Are Monomorphic Species Really Sexually Indistinguishable: No Evidence in Wild Long-Tailed Finches (Poephila acuticauda). Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2010.01808.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Multiple ornaments correlate with aspects of condition and behaviour in female northern cardinals, Cardinalis cardinalis. Anim Behav 2004. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Jawor JM, Breitwisch R. A Unique Ornament Display in Female Northern Cardinals. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1676/03-034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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