1
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McNew SM, Taff CC, Vitousek MN. Manipulation of a social signal affects DNA methylation of a stress-related gene in a free-living bird. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246819. [PMID: 39022893 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Social status directly affects the health of humans and other animals. Low status individuals receive more antagonistic encounters, have fewer supportive relationships and have worse health outcomes. However, the physiological and cellular processes that mediate the relationship between the social environment and health are incompletely known. Epigenetic regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the neuroendocrine pathway that activates in response to stressors, may be one process that is sensitive to the social environment. Here, we experimentally manipulated plumage, a key social signal in female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and quantified methylation of four genes in the HPA axis before and after treatment. We found that dulling the white breast plumage affected methylation in one gene, CRHR1; however, the effect depended on the original brightness of the bird. Methylation in this gene was correlated with baseline corticosterone levels, suggesting that DNA methylation of CRHR1 helps regulate glucocorticoid production in this species. Methylation in two other genes, FKBP5 and GR, changed over the course of the experiment, independent of treatment. These results show that methylation of these genes is labile into adulthood and suggest that epigenetic regulation of the HPA axis could help birds respond to current environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina M McNew
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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2
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McNew SM, Taff CC, Zimmer C, Uehling JJ, Ryan TA, Chang van Oordt D, Houtz JL, Injaian AS, Vitousek MN. Developmental stage-dependent effects of perceived predation risk on nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Ecology 2024; 105:e4307. [PMID: 38724013 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The risk of predation directly affects the physiology, behavior, and fitness of wild birds. Strong social connections with conspecifics could help individuals recover from a stressful experience such as a predation event; however, competitive interactions also have the potential to exacerbate stress. Few studies have investigated the interaction between environmental stressors and the social landscape in wild bird populations. In 2 years of field studies, we experimentally simulated predation attempts on breeding female tree swallows (Tachicyneta bicolor). At the same time, we manipulated female breast plumage color, a key social signal. Simulated predation events on tree swallows early in the nestling period reduced young nestlings' mass by approximately 20% and shortened telomere lengths. Ultimately, only 31% of nestlings in the predation group fledged compared with 70% of control nestlings. However, the effects of experimental manipulations were timing dependent: the following year when we swapped the order of the experimental manipulations and simulated predation during incubation, there were no significant effects of predation on nestling condition or fledging success. Contrary to our expectations, manipulation of the social environment did not affect the response of tree swallows to simulated predation. However, manipulating female plumage during the nestling period did reduce nestling skeletal size and mass, although the effects depended on original plumage brightness. Our data demonstrate that transient stressors on female birds can have carry-over effects on their nestlings if they occur during critical periods in the breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina M McNew
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer J Uehling
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L Houtz
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Allison S Injaian
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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3
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Chang van Oordt DA, Taff CC, Pipkin MA, Ryan TA, Vitousek MN. Experimentally elevated corticosterone does not affect bacteria killing ability of breeding female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Horm Behav 2024; 160:105500. [PMID: 38316079 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
The immune system can be modulated when organisms are exposed to acute or chronic stressors. Glucocorticoids (GCs), the primary hormonal mediators of the physiological stress response, are suspected to play a crucial role in immune modulation. However, most evidence of stress-associated immunomodulation does not separate the effects of glucocorticoid-dependent pathways from those of glucocorticoid-independent mechanisms on immune function. In this study, we experimentally elevated circulating corticosterone, the main avian glucocorticoid, in free-living female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) for one to two weeks to test its effects on immune modulation. Natural variation in bacteria killing ability (BKA), a measure of innate constitutive immunity, was predicted by the interaction between timing of breeding and corticosterone levels. However, experimental elevation of corticosterone had no effect on BKA. Therefore, even when BKA is correlated with natural variation in glucocorticoid levels, this relationship may not be causal. Experiments are necessary to uncover the causal mechanisms of immunomodulation and the consequences of acute and chronic stress on disease vulnerability. Findings in other species indicate that acute increases in GCs can suppress BKA; but our results support the hypothesis that this effect does not persist over longer timescales, during chronic elevations in GCs. Direct comparisons of the effects of acute vs. chronic elevation of GCs on BKA will be important for testing this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Chang van Oordt
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Conor C Taff
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Monique A Pipkin
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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4
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Taff CC, McNew SM, Zimmer C, Uehling JJ, Houtz JL, Ryan TA, Chang van Oordt D, Injaian AS, Vitousek MN. Social signal manipulation and environmental challenges have independent effects on physiology, internal microbiome, and reproductive performance in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 339:723-735. [PMID: 37306329 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The social environment that individuals experience appears to be a particularly salient mediator of stress resilience, as the nature and valence of social interactions are often related to subsequent health, physiology, microbiota, and overall stress resilience. Relatively few studies have simultaneously manipulated the social environment and ecological challenges under natural conditions. Here, we report the results of experiments in wild tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in which we manipulated both ecological challenges (predator encounters and flight efficiency reduction) and social interactions (by experimental dulling of a social signal). In two experiments conducted in separate years, we reversed the order of these treatments so that females experienced either an altered social signal followed by a challenge or vice-versa. Before, during, and after treatments were applied, we tracked breeding success, morphology and physiology (mass, corticosterone, and glucose), nest box visits via an RFID sensor network, cloacal microbiome diversity, and fledging success. Overall, we found that predator exposure during the nestling period reduced the likelihood of fledging and that signal manipulation sometimes altered nest box visitation patterns, but little evidence that the two categories of treatment interacted with each other. We discuss the implications of our results for understanding what types of challenges and what conditions are most likely to result in interactions between the social environment and ecological challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sabrina M McNew
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Paris, France
| | - Jennifer J Uehling
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L Houtz
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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5
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Zimmer C, Taff CC, Ardia DR, Rosvall KA, Kallenberg C, Bentz AB, Taylor AR, Johnson LS, Vitousek MN. Gene expression in the female tree swallow brain is associated with inter- and intra-population variation in glucocorticoid levels. Horm Behav 2023; 147:105280. [PMID: 36403365 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the evolutionary causes and consequences of variation in circulating glucocorticoids (GCs) have begun to reveal how they are shaped by selection. Yet the extent to which variation in circulating hormones reflects variation in other important regulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and whether these relationships vary among populations inhabiting different environments, remain poorly studied. Here, we compare gene expression in the brain of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from populations that breed in environments that differ in their unpredictability. We find evidence of inter-population variation in the expression of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors in the hypothalamus, with the highest gene expression in a population from an extreme environment, and lower expression in a population from a more consistent environment as well as in birds breeding at an environmentally variable high-altitude site that are part of a population that inhabits a mixture of high and low altitude habitats. Within some populations, variation in circulating GCs predicted differences in gene expression, particularly in the hypothalamus. However, some patterns were present in all populations, whereas others were not. These results are consistent with the idea that some combination of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity may modify components of the HPA axis affecting stress resilience. Our results also underscore that a comprehensive understanding of the function and evolution of the stress response cannot be gained from measuring circulating hormones alone, and that future studies that apply a more explicitly evolutionary approach to important regulatory traits are likely to provide significant insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UR 4443, 93430 Villetaneuse, France.
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Daniel R Ardia
- Department of Biology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA
| | - Kimberly A Rosvall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Christine Kallenberg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Audrey R Taylor
- Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - L Scott Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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6
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Taff C. Simulating physiological flexibility in the acute glucocorticoid response to stressors reveals limitations of current empirical approaches. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14039. [PMID: 36132217 PMCID: PMC9484456 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Wild animals often experience unpredictable challenges that demand rapid and flexible responses. The glucocorticoid mediated stress response is one of the major systems that allows vertebrates to rapidly adjust their physiology and behavior. Given its role in responding to challenges, evolutionary physiologists have focused on the consequences of between-individual and, more recently, within-individual variation in the acute glucocorticoid response. However, empirical studies of physiological flexibility are severely limited by the logistical challenges of measuring the same animal multiple times. Data simulation is a powerful approach when empirical data are limited, but has not been adopted to date in studies of physiological flexibility. In this article, I develop a simulation that can generate realistic acute glucocorticoid response data with user specified characteristics. Simulated animals can be sampled continuously through an acute response and across as many separate responses as desired, while varying key parameters. Using the simulation, I develop several scenarios that address key questions in physiological flexibility. These scenarios demonstrate the conditions under which a single glucocorticoid trait can be accurately assessed with typical experimental designs, the consequences of covariation between different components of the acute stress response, and the way that context specific differences in variability of acute responses can influence the power to detect relationships between the strength of the acute stress response and fitness. I also describe how to use the simulation tools to aid in the design and evaluation of empirical studies of physiological flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States,Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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7
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Laczi M, Jablonszky M, Markó G, Nagy G, Szabó G, Zsebők S, Török J, Hegyi G. White plumage color as an honest indicator: feather macrostructure links reflectance with reproductive effort and success. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03238-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The structural condition of feathers may generally have a decisive role in shaping the color properties of the plumage. However, the information content of structurally mediated color differences is poorly known. This makes it particularly hard to determine the meaning of color variation in pigment-free white plumage patches. The white wing patch of the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) is an important sexual trait, and changes in its reflectance are partly due to macrostructural condition. We used 2 years of macrostructural, reflectance, and breeding data from both sexes to examine whether wing patch macrostructure lends information content to actual reflectance in terms of reproductive effort and success. Macrostructure strongly predicted actual reflectance in males but only weakly in females. Furthermore, in males, feather vane width was related positively to current year reproductive effort, and negatively to previous year reproductive effort. This indicates that macrostructurally mediated reflectance attributes may inform the receiver not only of actual reproductive capacity but also of individual quality via reproductive costs.
Significance statement
Coloration of animals takes a central place in their communication and in advertising reproductive abilities. Although white plumage is widespread among animals, usually we have little knowledge on how its structure is linked to reproduction. We investigated this link in a wild population of collared flycatchers. We demonstrated that white feather structure was related to coloration and with current year and previous year reproductive capabilities in males. Our results suggest that white feather structure has the potential to connect reproductive costs with coloration.
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8
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Vitousek MN, Houtz JL, Pipkin MA, Chang van Oordt DA, Hallinger KK, Uehling JJ, Zimmer C, Taff CC. Natural and experimental cold exposure in adulthood increase the sensitivity to future stressors in a free‐living songbird. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maren N. Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - Jennifer L. Houtz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - Monique A. Pipkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - David A. Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - Kelly K. Hallinger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
- Department of Biology Albion College Albion MI USA
| | - Jennifer J. Uehling
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC Université Sorbonne Paris Nord UR Villetaneuse France
| | - Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
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9
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Taff CC, Zimmer C, Ryan TA, van Oordt DC, Aborn DA, Ardia DR, Johnson LS, Rose AP, Vitousek M. Individual variation in natural or manipulated corticosterone does not covary with circulating glucose in a wild bird. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274518. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals respond to sudden challenges with a coordinated set of physiological and behavioral responses that enhance the ability to cope with stressors. While general characteristics of the vertebrate stress response are well described, it is not as clear how individual components covary between- or within-individuals. A rapid increase in glucocorticoids coordinates the stress response and one of the primary downstream results is an increase in glucose availability via reduced glucose utilization. Here, we asked whether between- and within-individual variation in corticosterone directly predicted variation in glucose. We collected 2,673 paired glucose and corticosterone measures from 776 tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from four populations spanning the species range. In adults, glucose and corticosterone both increased during a standardized restraint protocol in all four populations. Moreover, in one population experimentally increasing a precursor that stimulates corticosterone release resulted in a further increase in both measures. In contrast, nestlings did not show a robust glucose response to handling or manipulation. Despite this group level variation, there was very little evidence in any population that between-individual variation in corticosterone predicted between-individual variation in glucose regulation. Glucose was moderately repeatable within-individuals, but within-individual variation in glucose and corticosterone were unrelated. Our results highlight the fact that a strong response in one aspect of the coordinated acute stress response (corticosterone) does not necessarily indicate that specific downstream components, such as glucose, will show similarly strong responses. These results have implications for understanding the evolution of integrated stress response systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, UR 4443, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, France
| | - Thomas A. Ryan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA
| | - David A. Aborn
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA
| | | | | | - Alexandra P. Rose
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
| | - Maren Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA
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10
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Kelly TR, Lynch KI, Couvillion KE, Gallagher JN, Stansberry KR, Kimball MG, Lattin CR. A transient reduction in circulating corticosterone reduces object neophobia in male house sparrows. Horm Behav 2022; 137:105094. [PMID: 34863050 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Aversive reactions to novelty (or "neophobia") have been described in a wide variety of different animal species and can affect an individual's ability to exploit new resources and avoid potential dangers. However, despite its ecological importance, the proximate causes of neophobia are poorly understood. In this study, we tested the role of glucocorticoid hormones in neophobia in wild-caught house sparrows (Passer domesticus, n = 11 males) by giving an injection of the drug mitotane that reduced endogenous corticosterone for several days or a vehicle control, and then examined the latency to feed when the food dish was presented with or without a novel object in, on, or near the dish. Each sparrow was exposed to multiple novel object and control trials and received both vehicle control and mitotane treatments, with a week between treatments to allow the drug to wash out. As found previously, all novel objects significantly increased sparrows' latency to feed compared to no object present. Reducing corticosterone using mitotane significantly reduced the latency to feed in the presence of novel objects. In control trials without objects, mitotane had no significant effects on feeding time. Although we have shown that corticosterone affects neophobia, further studies using specific receptor agonists and antagonists will help clarify the neurobiological mechanisms involved and determine whether baseline or stress-induced corticosterone is driving this effect. These results suggest that increased glucocorticoids (e.g., due to human-induced stressors) could increase neophobia, affecting the ability of individuals to exploit novel resources, and, ultimately, to persist in human-altered environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tosha R Kelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America.
| | - Kenedi I Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
| | - Kaitlin E Couvillion
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
| | - Jaimie N Gallagher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
| | - Keegan R Stansberry
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
| | - Melanie G Kimball
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
| | - Christine R Lattin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
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11
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Earl AD, Simpson RK, Yorzinski JL. Dominant females have brighter ornamentation in a sexually dimorphic lekking species. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis D. Earl
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station, Texas USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Columbia University New York New York USA
| | - Richard K. Simpson
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Windsor Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Jessica L. Yorzinski
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology Texas A&M University College Station, Texas USA
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12
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Taff CC, Zimmer C, Scheck D, Ryan TA, Houtz JL, Smee MR, Hendry TA, Vitousek MN. Plumage manipulation alters associations between behaviour, physiology, the internal microbiome and fitness. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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13
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Injaian AS, Uehling JJ, Taff CC, Vitousek MN. Effects of artificial light at night on avian provisioning, corticosterone, and reproductive success. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1147-1159. [PMID: 34021748 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial light at night (hereafter 'ALAN') affects 88% of the land area in Europe and almost half of the land area in the US, with even rural areas exposed to lights from agricultural and industrial buildings. To date, there have been few studies that assess the impacts of ALAN on both wildlife behavior and physiology. However, ALAN may alter energy expenditure and/or stress physiology during the breeding period, potentially reducing reproductive success and resulting in conservation implications. Here, we experimentally exposed adult female and nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to ALAN. We then measured the effects of ALAN compared to control conditions on parental behavior (provisioning rate), nestling physiology (corticosterone levels), and reproductive success (likelihood of all eggs hatching and all nestlings fledging per nest). Our results showed that ALAN-exposed females provisioned their nestlings at lower rates than control females. Although relatively weak, our results also suggested that ALAN-exposed nestlings had reduced baseline and increased stress-induced corticosterone compared to control nestlings. ALAN-exposed nestlings also showed greater negative feedback of circulating corticosterone. We found no support for our prediction that ALAN would reduce nestling body condition. Finally, we found some support for a negative effect of ALAN on the likelihood that all eggs hatched in a given nest, but not the likelihood that all nestlings fledged. Therefore, while it is possible that the behavioral and physiological changes found here result in long-term consequences, our results also suggest that direct ALAN exposure alone may not have substantially large or negative effects on tree swallows. Exposure regimes for free-living birds, such as exposure to a combination of anthropogenic disturbances (i.e. ALAN and noise pollution) or direct and indirect effects of ALAN (i.e. effects on physiology due to direct light exposure and alterations in food availability), may produce different results than those found here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison S Injaian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer J Uehling
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
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14
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Zimmer C, Taff CC, Ardia DR, Rose AP, Aborn DA, Johnson LS, Vitousek MN. Environmental unpredictability shapes glucocorticoid regulation across populations of tree swallows. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13682. [PMID: 32792550 PMCID: PMC7426823 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70161-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to respond appropriately to challenges is an important contributor to fitness. Variation in the regulation of glucocorticoid hormones, which mediate the phenotypic response to challenges, can therefore influence the ability to persist in a given environment. We compared stress responsiveness in four populations of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breeding under different environmental conditions to evaluate support for different selective pressures in driving the evolution of glucocorticoid regulation. In accordance with the environmental unpredictability hypothesis, stronger stress responses were seen in more unpredictable environments. Contrary to the reproductive value hypothesis, the stress response was not lower in populations engaging in more valuable reproductive attempts. Populations with stronger stress responses also had stronger negative feedback, which supports a “mitigating” rather than a “magnifying” effect of negative feedback on stress responses. These results suggest that combining a robust stress response with strong negative feedback may be important for persisting in unpredictable or rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Daniel R Ardia
- Department of Biology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, 17604, USA
| | - Alexandra P Rose
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
| | - David A Aborn
- Biology, Geology and Environmental Science, The University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, 37403, USA
| | - L Scott Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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15
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Winkler DW, Hallinger KK, Pegan TM, Taff CC, Verhoeven MA, Chang van Oordt D, Stager M, Uehling JJ, Vitousek MN, Andersen MJ, Ardia DR, Belmaker A, Ferretti V, Forsman AM, Gaul JR, Llambias PE, Orzechowski SC, Shipley JR, Wilson M, Yoon HS. Full lifetime perspectives on the costs and benefits of lay-date variation in tree swallows. Ecology 2020; 101:e03109. [PMID: 32455498 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Animals must balance various costs and benefits when deciding when to breed. The costs and benefits of breeding at different times have received much attention, but most studies have been limited to investigating short-term season-to-season fitness effects. However, breeding early, versus late, in a season may influence lifetime fitness over many years, trading off in complex ways across the breeder's lifespan. In this study, we examined the complete life histories of 867 female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breeding in Ithaca, New York, between 2002 and 2016. Earlier breeders outperformed later breeders in short-term measures of reproductive output and offspring quality. Though there were weak indications that females paid long-term future survival costs for breeding early, lifetime fledgling output was markedly higher overall in early-breeding birds. Importantly, older females breeding later in the season did not experience compensating life history advantages that suggested an alternative equal-fitness breeding strategy. Rather, most or all of the swallows appear to be breeding as early as they can, and differences in lay dates appear to be determined primarily by differences in individual quality or condition. Lay date had a significant repeatability across breeding attempts by the same female, and the first lay date of females fledged in our population was strongly influenced by the first lay date of their mothers, indicating the potential for ongoing selection on lay date. By examining performance over the entire lifespan of a large number of individuals, we were able to clarify the relationship between timing of breeding and fitness and gain new insight into the sources of variability in this important life history trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Vertebrates, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Kelly K Hallinger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Vertebrates, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Teresa M Pegan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48014, USA
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Vertebrates, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Mo A Verhoeven
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, Groningen, 9700 CC, The Netherlands
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Vertebrates, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Maria Stager
- Ecology and Evolution, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Jennifer J Uehling
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Vertebrates, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Vertebrates, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Michael J Andersen
- Museum of Southwestern Biology & Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA
| | - Daniel R Ardia
- Department of Biology, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 17603, USA
| | - Amos Belmaker
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6901127, Israel
| | - Valentina Ferretti
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, C1428EGA CABA, Argentina
| | - Anna M Forsman
- Department of Biology, Genomics & Bioinformatics Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, 32816, USA
| | - Jennifer R Gaul
- International High School at La Guardia Community College, Long Island City, New York, 11101, USA
| | - Paulo E Llambias
- Biología de Aves - IADIZA-CONICET, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, Parque General San Martin, Mendoza, 5500, Argentina
| | - Sophia C Orzechowski
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
| | | | - Maya Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA
| | - Hyun Seok Yoon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996, USA
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16
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Wilsterman K, Alonge MM, Ernst DK, Limber C, Treidel LA, Bentley GE. Flexibility in an emergency life-history stage: acute food deprivation prevents sickness behaviour but not the immune response. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200842. [PMID: 32546100 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergency life-history stage (ELHS) can be divided into two subcategories that describe distinct, coordinated responses to disease- or non-disease-related physiological challenges. Whether an individual can simultaneously express aspects of both subcategories when faced with multiple challenges is poorly understood. Emergency life-history theory suggests that disease- and non-disease-related responses are coordinated at the level of the whole organism and therefore cannot be expressed simultaneously. However, the reactive scope and physiological regulatory network models suggest that traits can be independently regulated, allowing for components of both disease- and non-disease-related responses to be simultaneously expressed within a single organism. To test these ideas experimentally, we subjected female zebra finches to food deprivation, an immune challenge, both, or neither, and measured a suite of behavioural and physiological traits involved in the ELHS. We examined whether the trait values expressed by birds experiencing simultaneous challenges resembled trait values of birds experiencing a single challenge or if birds could express a mixture of trait values concurrently. We find that birds can respond to simultaneous challenges by regulating components of the behavioural and immune responses independently of one another. Modularity within these physio-behavioural networks adds additional dimensions to how we evaluate the intensity or quality of an ELHS. Whether modularity provides fitness advantages or costs in nature remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mattina M Alonge
- Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Darcy K Ernst
- Department of Biology, Las Positas College, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Cody Limber
- Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lisa A Treidel
- Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - George E Bentley
- Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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17
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Wilsterman K, Alonge MM, Bao X, Conner KA, Bentley GE. Food access modifies GnIH, but not CRH, cell number in the hypothalamus in a female songbird. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 292:113438. [PMID: 32060003 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Food deprivation or restriction causes animals to mount a stereotypical behavioral and physiological response that involves overall increases in activity, elevated glucocorticoid production, and (often) inhibition of the reproductive system. Although there is increasing evidence that these responses can differ in their degree or covariation between the sexes, most studies to-date on food restriction/deprivation have focused on male songbirds. We therefore aimed to characterize the behavioral, physiological, and neuroendocrine response to acute food deprivation in a female songbird using a nomadic species, the zebra finch. We quantified behavior during a 6.5 h food deprivation and then measured physiological and neuroendocrine responses of female birds at the 6.5 h timepoint. Within 1 h of acute food deprivation, female zebra finches increased foraging behaviors, and after 6.5 h of food deprivation, females lost 5% of their body mass, on average. Change in body mass was positively associated with elevated corticosterone and (contrary to findings in male zebra finches) negatively related to the number of gonadotropin inhibitory hormone-immunoreactive cells in the hypothalamus. However, there was no effect of food deprivation on corticotropin releasing hormone-immunoreactive cells in the hypothalamus. There was also no relationship between corticotropin releasing hormone-immunoreactive cell number and circulating corticosterone. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that neuroendocrine responses to food deprivation differ between male and female songbirds. Future studies should work to incorporate sex comparisons to evaluate sex-specific neuroendocrine responses to acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mattina M Alonge
- Integrative Biology, Univ. of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Xinmiao Bao
- Integrative Biology, Univ. of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kristin A Conner
- Integrative Biology, Univ. of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - George E Bentley
- Integrative Biology, Univ. of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Univ. of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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18
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Leary CJ, Baugh AT. Glucocorticoids, male sexual signals, and mate choice by females: Implications for sexual selection. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 288:113354. [PMID: 31830474 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We review work relating glucocorticoids (GCs), male sexual signals, and mate choice by females to understand the potential for GCs to modulate the expression of sexually selected traits and how sexual selection potentially feeds back on GC regulation. Our review reveals that the relationship between GC concentrations and the quality of male sexual traits is mixed, regardless of whether studies focused on structural traits (e.g., coloration) or behavioral traits (e.g., vocalizations) or were examined in developmental or activational frameworks. In contrast, the few mate choice experiments that have been done consistently show that females prefer males with low GCs, suggesting that mate choice by females favors males that maintain low levels of GCs. We point out, however, that just as sexual selection can drive the evolution of diverse reproductive strategies, it may also promote diversity in GC regulation. We then shift the focus to females where we highlight evidence indicating that stressors or high GCs can dampen female sexual proceptivity and the strength of preferences for male courtship signals. Hence, even in cases where GCs are tightly coupled with male sexual signals, the strength of sexual selection on aspects of GC physiology can vary depending on the endocrine status of females. Studies examining how GCs relate to sexual selection may shed light on how variation in stress physiology, sexual signals, and mate choice are maintained in natural populations and may be important in understanding context-dependent relationships between GC regulation and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Leary
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, PO Box 1848, University, MS 38677, USA.
| | - Alexander T Baugh
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
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19
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Berzins LL, Dawson RD. Does experimentally altered plumage brightness influence extra-pair mating success in female Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor)? CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent empirical evidence suggests that ornamental traits displayed by female birds may reflect aspects of their quality, and function during competitive interactions and (or) social mate attraction; however, less is known about how such traits influence extra-pair paternity. In Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)), plumage brightness of females signals their quality and may be related to extra-pair paternity if it enables them to invade the territories of other females to seek extra-pair copulations and (or) if potential extra-pair mates perceive their plumage brightness as attractive. Therefore, to examine whether the plumage brightness displayed by females influence rates of extra-pair paternity and the number of sires per brood, we experimentally enhanced and reduced the plumage brightness of females relative to controls. Our results showed that plumage brightness treatment of the female did not influence the number of extra-pair offspring in nests or the likelihood of a brood containing extra-pair offspring. Additionally, the number of extra-pair males siring offspring within the broods of females did not differ by plumage brightness treatment. Although extra-pair paternity has been shown to be beneficial for female Tree Swallows, our results suggest that plumage brightness of females does not influence their ability to engage in extra-pair mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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20
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Uehling JJ, Taff CC, Winkler DW, Vitousek MN. Developmental temperature predicts the adult response to stressors in a free‐living passerine. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:842-854. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J. Uehling
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca New York
| | - Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca New York
| | - David W. Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca New York
- Cellular Tracking Technologies Rio Grande New Jersey
- Conservation Science Global West Cape May New Jersey
| | - Maren N. Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca New York
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21
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Taff CC, Campagna L, Vitousek MN. Genome-wide variation in DNA methylation is associated with stress resilience and plumage brightness in a wild bird. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3722-3737. [PMID: 31330076 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Individuals often differ in their ability to cope with challenging environmental and social conditions. Evidence from model systems suggests that patterns of DNA methylation are associated with variation in coping ability. These associations could arise directly if methylation plays a role in controlling the physiological response to stressors by, among other things, regulating the release of glucocorticoids in response to challenges. Alternatively, the association could arise indirectly if methylation and resilience have a common cause, such as early-life conditions. In either case, methylation might act as a biomarker for coping ability. At present, however, relatively little is known about whether variation in methylation is associated with organismal performance and resilience under natural conditions. We studied genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation in free-living female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) and a tree swallow genome that was assembled for this study. We identified areas of the genome that were differentially methylated with respect to social signal expression (breast brightness) and physiological traits (ability to terminate the glucocorticoid stress response through negative feedback). We also asked whether methylation predicted resilience to a subsequent experimentally imposed challenge. Individuals with brighter breast plumage and higher stress resilience had lower methylation at differentially methylated regions across the genome. Thus, widespread differences in methylation predicted both social signal expression and the response to future challenges under natural conditions. These results have implications for predicting individual differences in resilience, and for understanding the mechanistic basis of resilience and its environmental and social mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.,Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Leonardo Campagna
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.,Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.,Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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22
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Zimmer C, Taff CC, Ardia DR, Ryan TA, Winkler DW, Vitousek MN. On again, off again: Acute stress response and negative feedback together predict resilience to experimental challenges. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Daniel R. Ardia
- Department of Biology Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster Pennsylvania
| | - Thomas A. Ryan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - David W. Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Maren N. Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York
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