1
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Mudrik EA, Ilyashenko EI, Postelnykh KA, Goroshko OA, Politov DV. Sex Ratio in the Offspring of Monogamous Bird Species (Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo). RUSS J GENET+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795422110072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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2
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Della Costa NS, Martella MB, Bernad L, Marin RH, Navarro JL. Yolk corticosterone and progesterone levels in Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) eggs vary in a changing social environment. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:594-599. [PMID: 35614573 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Maternal hormones in avian egg yolks may signal and prepare offspring for the prevailing conditions. However, this adjustment requires some degree of flexibility in regulating yolk hormone deposition. The Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) has a particular mating system that combines mixed polygyny and polyandry, communal nesting, and exclusive paternal care of chicks. In this species, we previously found that yolk hormone deposition varies among eggs of different captive populations and could influence chicks' physiology and behavior. However, it is still unknown whether females can modify yolk hormone deposition in a changing social environment. Using a captive population of Greater Rheas, in this study, we quantified yolk hormone levels before and after a reduction in the number of females present in the population. We found that females deposited on average higher yolk corticosterone and lower yolk progesterone after the change in their social environment. Since corticosterone deposited into the yolk comes exclusively from the female's plasma, our results suggest that females had, on average, higher plasma corticosterone levels. The change in the number of females may increase the events of male-male competitions, courtships, and matings, leading to an increase of corticosterone in the females' plasma and then into their eggs. Since we previously found that higher yolk corticosterone and lower yolk progesterone were associated with the production of chicks that have an attenuated stress response, the present study results suggest that yolk hormone deposition is mediated by flexible mechanisms that could adjust development to the prevailing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia S Della Costa
- Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
| | - Mónica B Martella
- Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
| | - Lucía Bernad
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce, Balcarce, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
| | - Raúl H Marin
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (ICTA), Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
| | - Joaquín L Navarro
- Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Cátedra de Problemática Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba Province, Argentina
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3
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Driver R, Ferretti V, Burton ES, McCoy MW, Duerr KC, Curry RL. Spatiotemporal variation in hatching success and nestling sex ratios track rapid movement of a songbird hybrid zone. Am Nat 2022; 200:264-274. [DOI: 10.1086/720207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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4
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Richardson J, Smiseth PT. Separating differential allocation by females from direct effects of male condition in a beetle. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Differential allocation is the adjustment of reproductive allocation, typically by a female, in response to the quality of her male partner. A recent theoretical model suggests that differential allocation may influence trade-offs between reproductive traits within a breeding attempt. Furthermore, it is often difficult to distinguish differential allocation from direct effects of male condition. We address these gaps using a novel cross-fostering design to exclude direct effects of male condition and to test whether differential allocation affects trade-offs between and within breeding attempts. This design detects differential allocation as effects of a female’s mating partner and direct effects of male condition as effects of the larvae’s sire. We used the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, a species which adjusts reproductive allocation by culling some larvae after hatching. We used food deprivation to manipulate the nutritional condition of both the female’s mating partner and the larvae’s sire. We find clear evidence for differential allocation as females mating with food-deprived males had fewer larvae than females mating with control males. There was a trade-off between number and size of larvae when females mated with control males, but a positive relationship when females mated with food-deprived males. Thus, differential allocation influenced relationships between reproductive traits within a breeding attempt, but not necessarily through trade-offs. Instead, we suggest that there may be cryptic heterogeneity in quality among females or their mating partners that was only exposed when females mated with a male in poor condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Richardson
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Per T Smiseth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, UK
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5
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The Adaptive Sex in Stressful Environments. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:628-640. [PMID: 30952545 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The impact of early stress on juvenile development has intrigued scientists for decades, but the adaptive significance of such effects remains an ongoing debate. This debate has largely ignored some characteristics of the offspring, such as their sex, despite strong evolutionary and demographic implications of sex-ratio variation. We review recent studies that examine associations between glucocorticoids (GCs), the main class of stress hormones, and offspring sex. Whereas exposure to GCs at around the time of sex determination in fish consistently produces males, the extent and direction of sex-ratio bias in response to stress vary in reptiles, birds, and mammals. We propose proximate and ultimate explanations for most of these trends.
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6
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Chatelain M, Gasparini J, Frantz A, Angelier F. Reproduction impairments in metal-polluted environments and parental hormones: No evidence for a causal association in an experimental study in breeding feral pigeons exposed to lead and zinc. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 161:746-754. [PMID: 29957582 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Humans are responsible for land-cover changes resulting in the emission of hazardous chemical elements including metallic trace elements i.e. MTEs. As a consequence, urban wildlife is exposed to high concentrations of MTEs, which exposure is linked to reproductive impairments. MTE effects on reproduction outputs might result from MTE exposure disrupting the endocrine pathways involved in reproductive behaviours. In birds, there is strong evidence that prolactin, corticosterone and testosterone are all involved in the regulation of parental effort during incubation and chick rearing. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals might stimulate or inhibit the production of those hormones and consequently alter parental investment and reproductive success outcomes. We measured baseline corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone plasma levels, and the corticosterone stress response of breeding feral pigeons (Columba livia) experimentally exposed to ecologically relevant lead and/or zinc concentrations. Independently of lead and/or zinc exposure, male and female plasma levels of corticosterone and prolactin (but not testosterone) showed temporal variations along the reproduction stages (i.e. incubation, early rearing and late rearing). In addition, both hatching and fledging success were slightly correlated with corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone levels. However, our study did not find any influence of lead or zinc exposure on hormone levels, suggesting that MTE effects on reproductive outputs might not be explained by MTE-induced modifications of corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone-linked behaviours during incubation and rearing. Alternatively, MTE-induced reproductive impairments might result from MTE exposure having direct effects on offspring phenotypes or prenatal indirect effects on the embryo (e.g. maternal transfer of MTEs, hormones or immune compounds).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Chatelain
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France.
| | - J Gasparini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France
| | - A Frantz
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France
| | - F Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, F-79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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7
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Ratikainen II, Haaland TR, Wright J. Differential allocation of parental investment and the trade-off between size and number of offspring. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181074. [PMID: 30068679 PMCID: PMC6111174 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
When parents decide how much to invest in current versus future offspring and how many offspring to divide their current investments between, the optimal decision can be affected by the quality of their partner. This differential allocation (DA) is highly dependent on exactly how partner quality affects reproductive costs and offspring benefits. We present a stochastic dynamic model of DA in which females care for a series of clutches when mated with males of different quality. In each reproductive event, females choose the size and number of offspring. We find that if partner quality affects reproductive costs, then DA in total reproductive investment occurs only via changes in the number of offspring. DA in the optimal size of the offspring occurs only if partner quality affects the offspring benefit function. This is mostly in the form of greater female investment per offspring as male quality decreases. Simultaneously, we find that adaptive DA increases the number of offspring, and thus the amount of total investment, as male quality increases. Only certain model scenarios produce the positive DA in offspring size seen in empirical studies, providing a predictive framework for DA and how partner quality affects reproductive costs and offspring benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irja Ida Ratikainen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thomas Ray Haaland
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
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8
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Song Z, Liu Y, Booksmythe I, Ding C. Effects of individual-based preferences for colour-banded mates on sex allocation in zebra finches. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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9
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Bonderud ES, Otter KA, Murray BW, Marini K, Burg TM, Reudink MW. Effects of parental condition and nesting habitat on sex allocation in the mountain chickadee. BEHAVIOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
When the reproductive value of sons vs. daughters differs, sex allocation theory predicts females should bias the sex ratio of their broods towards the higher-value sex. Females in numerous bird species appear to bias offspring sex in response to self and mate condition, and breeding habitat quality. Over three breeding seasons, we monitored mountain chickadees breeding along a rural to urban habitat gradient. We did not find female condition or the condition of the putative father or true genetic father to influence offspring sex. We found marginal evidence for sex allocation in relation to habitat urbanization, though opposite to our predictions. In urban habitat, offspring were more likely to be female as the degree of habitat urbanization increased. We suggest habitat quality may be influential in mountain chickadee reproductive decisions; however, the ecology of mountain chickadees may not fulfill the assumptions of sex allocation theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica S. Bonderud
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - Ken A. Otter
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - Brent W. Murray
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - Kristen L.D. Marini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada
| | - Theresa M. Burg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Matthew W. Reudink
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada
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10
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Nadal J, Ponz C, Margalida A. Age and Sex Ratios in a High-Density Wild Red-Legged Partridge Population. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159765. [PMID: 27508503 PMCID: PMC4979962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of a wild red-legged partridge population were examined over a 14-year period in Spain to identify patterns in age and sex ratios in relation to weather parameters, and to assess the importance of these parameters in population dynamics and management. The results gave age ratios of 1.07 (but 2.13 in July counts), juvenile sex ratios of 1.01 and adult sex ratios of 1.47. Overall, 12% more females were hatched and female juvenile mortality was 7.3% higher than in males. Sex differential mortality explains the 19.2% deficit in adult females, which are more heavily predated than males during the breeding period. Accordingly, age ratios are dependent on sex ratios and both are density dependent. Over time, ratios and density changes appear to be influenced by weather and management. When the habitat is well conserved, partridge population dynamics can be explained by a causal chain: weather operates on net primary production, thereby affecting partridge reproduction and predation and, as a result, age and sex ratios in the October population. A reduction in the impact of predation (i.e. the effects of ground predators on eggs, chicks and breeding females) is the key factor to improve the conservation of partridge populations and associated biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Nadal
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Carolina Ponz
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Antoni Margalida
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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11
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Mudrik EA, Kashentseva TA, Postelnykh KA, Nosachenko GV, Politov DV. Offspring sex ratio in the captive population of the Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus Pallas). RUSS J GENET+ 2015. [DOI: 10.1134/s102279541512008x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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12
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Booksmythe I, Mautz B, Davis J, Nakagawa S, Jennions MD. Facultative adjustment of the offspring sex ratio and male attractiveness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:108-134. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Isobel Booksmythe
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zürich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Brian Mautz
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Jacqueline Davis
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; Downing Street CB2 3EB Cambridge U.K
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; PO Box 56 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics; Research School of Biology, The Australian National University; Daley road Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
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13
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Aslam MA, Schokker D, Groothuis TG, de Wit AA, Smits MA, Woelders H. Association of Egg Mass and Egg Sex: Gene Expression Analysis from Maternal RNA in the Germinal Disc Region of Layer Hens (Gallus gallus)1. Biol Reprod 2015; 92:157. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.114.123380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
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14
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Henderson LJ, Evans NP, Heidinger BJ, Adams A, Arnold KE. Maternal condition but not corticosterone is linked to offspring sex ratio in a passerine bird. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110858. [PMID: 25347532 PMCID: PMC4210198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence of offspring sex ratio adjustment in a range of species, but the potential mechanisms remain largely unknown. Elevated maternal corticosterone (CORT) is associated with factors that can favour brood sex ratio adjustment, such as reduced maternal condition, food availability and partner attractiveness. Therefore, the steroid hormone has been suggested to play a key role in sex ratio manipulation. However, despite correlative and causal evidence CORT is linked to sex ratio manipulation in some avian species, the timing of adjustment varies between studies. Consequently, whether CORT is consistently involved in sex-ratio adjustment, and how the hormone acts as a mechanism for this adjustment remains unclear. Here we measured maternal baseline CORT and body condition in free-living blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) over three years and related these factors to brood sex ratio and nestling quality. In addition, a non-invasive technique was employed to experimentally elevate maternal CORT during egg laying, and its effects upon sex ratio and nestling quality were measured. We found that maternal CORT was not correlated with brood sex ratio, but mothers with elevated CORT fledged lighter offspring. Also, experimental elevation of maternal CORT did not influence brood sex ratio or nestling quality. In one year, mothers in superior body condition produced male biased broods, and maternal condition was positively correlated with both nestling mass and growth rate in all years. Unlike previous studies maternal condition was not correlated with maternal CORT. This study provides evidence that maternal condition is linked to brood sex ratio manipulation in blue tits. However, maternal baseline CORT may not be the mechanistic link between the maternal condition and sex ratio adjustment. Overall, this study serves to highlight the complexity of sex ratio adjustment in birds and the difficulties associated with identifying sex biasing mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay J. Henderson
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Neil P. Evans
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Britt J. Heidinger
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Aileen Adams
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn E. Arnold
- College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Environment Department, The University of York, York, United Kingdom
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15
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Krištofík J, Darolová A, Majtan J, Okuliarová M, Zeman M, Hoi H. Do females invest more into eggs when males sing more attractively? Postmating sexual selection strategies in a monogamous reed passerine. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:1328-39. [PMID: 24834329 PMCID: PMC4020692 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal investment can play an important role for offspring fitness, especially in birds, as females have to provide their eggs with all the necessary nutrients for the development of the embryo. It is known that this type of maternal investment can be influenced by the quality of the male partner. In this study, we first verify that male song is important in the mate choice of female Eurasian reed warblers, as males mate faster when their singing is more complex. Furthermore, female egg investment varies in relation to male song characteristics. Interestingly, clutch size, egg weight, or size, which can be considered as an high-cost investment, is not influenced by male song characteristics, whereas comparably low-cost investment types like investment into diverse egg components are adjusted to male song characteristics. In line with this, our results suggest that female allocation rules depend on investment type as well as song characteristics. For example, egg white lysozyme is positively correlated with male song complexity. In contrast, a negative correlation exists between-song speed and syllable repetitiveness and egg yolk weight as well as egg yolk testosterone concentration. Thus, our results suggest that female egg investment is related to male song performance in several aspects, but female investment patterns regarding various egg compounds are not simply correlated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ján Krištofík
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of SciencesDúbravská cesta 9, Bratislava, 84506, Slovakia
| | - Alžbeta Darolová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of SciencesDúbravská cesta 9, Bratislava, 84506, Slovakia
| | - Juraj Majtan
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of SciencesDúbravská cesta 9, Bratislava, 84506, Slovakia
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical UniversityLimbová 12, 833 03, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Okuliarová
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius UniversityMlynská dolina, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Michal Zeman
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius UniversityMlynská dolina, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Herbert Hoi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine ViennaSavoyenstr. 1a, Vienna, A – 1160, Austria
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16
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Aslam MA, Groothuis TG, Smits MA, Woelders H. Effect of Corticosterone and Hen Body Mass on Primary Sex Ratio in Laying Hen (Gallus gallus), Using Unincubated Eggs1. Biol Reprod 2014; 90:76. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.113.115352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
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17
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Sardell RJ, DuVal EH. Differential allocation in a lekking bird: females lay larger eggs and are more likely to have male chicks when they mate with less related males. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 281:20132386. [PMID: 24225457 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The differential allocation hypothesis predicts increased investment in offspring when females mate with high-quality males. Few studies have tested whether investment varies with mate relatedness, despite evidence that non-additive gene action influences mate and offspring genetic quality. We tested whether female lekking lance-tailed manakins (Chiroxiphia lanceolata) adjust offspring sex and egg volume in response to mate attractiveness (annual reproductive success, ARS), heterozygosity and relatedness. Across 968 offspring, the probability of being male decreased with increasing parental relatedness but not father ARS or heterozygosity. This correlation tended to diminish with increasing lay-date. Across 162 offspring, egg volume correlated negatively with parental relatedness and varied with lay-date, but was unrelated to father ARS or heterozygosity. Offspring sex and egg size were unrelated to maternal age. Comparisons of maternal half-siblings in broods with no mortality produced similar results, indicating differential allocation rather than covariation between female quality and relatedness or sex-specific inbreeding depression in survival. As males suffer greater inbreeding depression, overproducing females after mating with related males may reduce fitness costs of inbreeding in a system with no inbreeding avoidance, while biasing the sex of outbred offspring towards males may maximize fitness via increased mating success of outbred sons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Sardell
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, , 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA
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18
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Navara KJ. The role of steroid hormones in the adjustment of primary sex ratio in birds: compiling the pieces of the puzzle. Integr Comp Biol 2013; 53:923-37. [PMID: 23900275 DOI: 10.1093/icb/ict083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is ample evidence that birds have the ability to adjust their offsprings' sex ratios before fertilization occurs. Recent work has focused on pinpointing when during the process of oocyte maturation adjustment of sex ratio takes place. Additionally, there is growing support for the idea that there is hormonal control over the process of adjustment of sex ratio in birds. Whether steroid hormones represent direct mediators of the process, however, remains unclear. This review outlines the precise points during maturation of ovarian follicles during which adjustment of primary sex ratios could potentially occur, compiles the evidence for hormonal involvement in the process of primary adjustment of sex ratio, and discusses potential hormonal targets during maturation and fertilization of oocytes where hormones may trigger adjustment of sex ratio in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen J Navara
- Department of Poultry Science, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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19
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Aslam MA, Hulst M, Hoving-Bolink RAH, Smits MA, de Vries B, Weites I, Groothuis TGG, Woelders H. Yolk concentrations of hormones and glucose and egg weight and egg dimensions in unincubated chicken eggs, in relation to egg sex and hen body weight. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 187:15-22. [PMID: 23510857 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.02.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2012] [Revised: 02/13/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Birds can manipulate offspring sex ratio under natural and experimental conditions and maternal hormones have been shown to be involved in this process. Studies also provided evidence for the presence of sex specific concentrations of yolk hormones in avian eggs. These findings led to the suggestion that yolk hormones could influence genetic sex determination in birds. However, in previous studies, yolk hormone concentrations and egg sex were studied in incubated eggs, although incubation of the eggs and embryonic development can alter yolk hormone concentrations and measured sex ratio. This study is the first to determine a wide array of egg components and hen body weight in relation to the sex of the egg in unincubated eggs. Egg parameters studied were yolk concentrations of testosterone, estradiol, androstenedione, progesterone, dihydrotestosterone, and glucose, and egg weight and dimensions. In addition, we studied the associations among all measured parameters. Associations were found between a number of yolk hormones (progesterone associated with testosterone, estradiol and androstenedione; androstenedione with testosterone; dihydrotestosterone with estradiol and androstenedione) as well as between yolk testosterone and egg length and egg weight. There were no significant overall differences between male and female chicken eggs in any of the measured egg parameters. However, there were a few interactions such as the interaction of egg sex with dihydrotestosterone and with hen body weight which predicted estradiol levels and an interaction of estradiol levels with egg width for predicting sex of egg. Their biological relevance need, however, further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Aamir Aslam
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
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20
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Almasi B, Rettenbacher S, Müller C, Brill S, Wagner H, Jenni L. Maternal corticosterone is transferred into the egg yolk. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2012; 178:139-44. [PMID: 22580154 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2011] [Revised: 04/29/2012] [Accepted: 04/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Hormones deposited in the avian egg are considered in many studies to influence or to adjust offspring phenotype to prevailing conditions in an adaptive way. Several studies demonstrated an effect of corticosterone, the main glucocorticoid in birds, injected into the egg on the developing chick, but the injection of steroids in the egg is far from mimicking the natural distribution of the hormone in the egg. Other studies applied a stressor or corticosterone to the mother. However it is still debated whether an increase of circulating corticosterone in the mother translates into higher concentrations of corticosterone in the egg. Therefore, we investigated in captive barn owls Tyto alba whether circulating corticosterone in egg-laying females elevated within a physiological range, resulted in the deposition of corticosterone in eggs. We found that an increase in circulating corticosterone in the mother within the naturally occurring range translated into elevated concentrations of corticosterone in the yolk of subsequently laid eggs, indicating a specific time frame and yolk layer of corticosterone deposition. We conclude that increasing maternal plasma corticosterone within a naturally occurring range is an efficient tool to increase corticosterone concentration in the egg and to manipulate conditions for the developing embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Almasi
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, Switzerland.
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21
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Carranza J, Polo V. Is there an expected relationship between parental expenditure and sex ratio of litters or broods? Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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22
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ASLAM MAAMIR, HULST MARCEL, HOVING‐BOLINK RITAAH, De WIT AGNESAC, SMITS MARIA, WOELDERS HENRI. A reliable method for sexing unincubated bird eggs for studying primary sex ratio. Mol Ecol Resour 2012; 12:421-7. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2012.03120.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. AAMIR ASLAM
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - MARCEL HULST
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - RITA A. H. HOVING‐BOLINK
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - AGNES A. C. De WIT
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - MARI A. SMITS
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - HENRI WOELDERS
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
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Rutkowska J, Place NJ, Vincent S, Adkins-Regan E. Adrenocortical response to mating, social interaction and restraint in the female Japanese quail. Physiol Behav 2011; 104:1037-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2010] [Revised: 06/30/2011] [Accepted: 07/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Sex-ratio control erodes sexual selection, revealing evolutionary feedback from adaptive plasticity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:15925-30. [PMID: 21911375 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1105721108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Female choice is a powerful selective force, driving the elaboration of conspicuous male ornaments. This process of sexual selection has profound implications for many life-history decisions, including sex allocation. For example, females with attractive partners should produce more sons, because these sons will inherit their father's attractiveness and enjoy high mating success, thereby yielding greater fitness returns than daughters. However, previous research has overlooked the fact that there is a reciprocal feedback from life-history strategies to sexual selection. Here, using a simple mathematical model, we show that if mothers adaptively control offspring sex in relation to their partner's attractiveness, sexual selection is weakened and male ornamentation declines. This weakening occurs because the ability to determine offspring sex reduces the fitness difference between females with attractive and unattractive partners. We use individual-based, evolutionary simulations to show that this result holds under more biologically realistic conditions. Sexual selection and sex allocation thus interact in a dynamic fashion: The evolution of conspicuous male ornaments favors sex-ratio adjustment, but this conditional strategy then undermines the very same process that generated it, eroding sexual selection. We predict that, all else being equal, the most elaborate sexual displays should be seen in species with little or no control over offspring sex. The feedback process we have described points to a more general evolutionary principle, in which a conditional strategy weakens directional selection on another trait by reducing fitness differences.
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Quillfeldt P, Poisbleau M, Parenteau C, Trouvé C, Demongin L, van Noordwijk HJ, Möstl E. Measuring corticosterone in seabird egg yolk and the presence of high yolk gestagen concentrations. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 173:11-4. [PMID: 21640119 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2011] [Revised: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/15/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Large inter-species differences have been found in yolk corticosterone amounts in avian eggs. While some studies have failed to detect significant amounts of corticosterone, in other species high amounts have been recorded, such as in a recent study of southern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome. However, attention has been drawn recently to the fact that many antibodies for corticosterone measurement cross-react with other steroids present in the yolk. In particular, progesterone and related substances can occur in yolk in high concentrations, such that also low cross-reactions of corticosterone assays may lead to measurement errors. We thus performed high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analyses of yolk extracts and determined the concentration of immunoreactive corticosterone, as well as cross-reacting progesterone and cortisol in egg yolks of southern rockhopper penguins and imperial shags Phalacrocorax atriceps albiventer. We found that high gestagen concentrations in the yolk result in large measurement errors for yolk corticosterone, even when the cross-reactivity seems small. This was observed for both species. We further found species-specific differences in the actual corticosterone amounts present in the egg yolks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Quillfeldt
- Max-Planck-Institut für Ornithologie, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany.
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26
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27
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Dama MS, Singh NMP, Rajender S. High fat diet prevents over-crowding induced decrease of sex ratio in mice. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16296. [PMID: 21283594 PMCID: PMC3026815 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2010] [Accepted: 12/20/2010] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive theory predicts that mothers would be advantaged by adjusting the sex ratio of their offspring in relation to their offspring's future reproductive success. In the present study, we tested the effect of housing mice under crowded condition on the sex ratio and whether the fat content of the diet has any influence on the outcome of pregnancies. Three-week-old mice were placed on the control diet (NFD) for 3 weeks. Thereafter the mice were allotted randomly to two groups of 7 cages each with 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 mice in every cage to create increasing crowding gradient and fed either NFD or high fat diet (HFD). After 4 weeks, dams were bred and outcomes of pregnancy were analyzed. The average dam body weight (DBW) at conception, litter size (LS) and SR were significantly higher in HFD fed dams. Further, male biased litters declined with increasing crowding in NFD group but not in HFD. The LS and SR in NFD declined significantly with increasing crowding, whereas only LS was reduced in HFD group. We conclude that female mice housed under overcrowding conditions shift offspring SR in favor of daughters in consistent with the TW hypothesis and high fat diet reduces this influence of overcrowding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhukar Shivajirao Dama
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Lucknow, India
| | - Negi Mahendra Pal Singh
- Biometry and Statistics Division, Central Drug Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Lucknow, India
| | - Singh Rajender
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Lucknow, India
- * E-mail:
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29
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Okuliarová M, Sárniková B, Rettenbacher S, Skrobánek P, Zeman M. Yolk testosterone and corticosterone in hierarchical follicles and laid eggs of Japanese quail exposed to long-term restraint stress. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2010; 165:91-6. [PMID: 19524583 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2009.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2008] [Revised: 04/25/2009] [Accepted: 06/10/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Environmental and behavioural stimuli experienced by egg-laying female birds contribute to intra- and inter-female differences in hormones in the egg yolk with consequences for offspring development. The understanding of physiological mechanisms underlying yolk hormone deposition can aid progress in this field. In our study, we measured the concentration of testosterone and corticosterone in hierarchical follicles and egg yolks of Japanese quail in control and chronic stress conditions. Experimental females were reared under hypodynamia, a model situation for restraint stress, from day 3 to 63 days of age. For yolk hormone analysis, four largest follicles of ovarian hierarchy (F1-F4), eggs present in the oviduct and eggs laid on the day before were collected. In chronically stressed birds, yolk testosterone concentrations decreased from F2 onwards, while yolk corticosterone content was increased from the beginning to the end of egg formation. The follicular profile of hormones suggested testosterone transfer into the yolk directly from granulosa and theca cells, with the highest accumulation during a period 48-72 h before laying the egg. Yolk corticosterone was accumulated from maternal plasma preferentially in early stages of follicular development under control conditions and also in last stages of egg formation under stress conditions. These specific patterns of hormone deposition indicate periods when stimuli experienced by female can substantially modify hormonal content of eggs. Lower testosterone and increased corticosterone yolk concentrations in stressed quail may represent signals mediating information about adverse environmental conditions from the mother to progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Okuliarová
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
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30
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Warner D, Radder R, Shine R. Corticosterone Exposure during Embryonic Development Affects Offspring Growth and Sex Ratios in Opposing Directions in Two Lizard Species with Environmental Sex Determination. Physiol Biochem Zool 2009; 82:363-71. [DOI: 10.1086/588491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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31
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Poisbleau M, Demongin L, Angelier F, Dano S, Lacroix A, Quillfeldt P. What ecological factors can affect albumen corticosterone levels in the clutches of seabirds? Timing of breeding, disturbance and laying order in rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 162:139-45. [PMID: 19341737 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2009.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2008] [Revised: 03/15/2009] [Accepted: 03/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Female birds deposit corticosterone into their eggs. Elevated concentrations of this hormone may interfere with the development of their offspring, and mothers should thus regulate corticosterone levels deposited into the eggs adaptively. However, if females are unable to regulate deposition, then the corticosterone concentration in eggs should reflect that in female plasma and should be influenced by stressors to the females. We measured corticosterone levels in the albumen of rockhopper penguins, and assessed their relationship with hatching order, human disturbance and laying date. Rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) lay two eggs, of which the second egg (B-egg) is larger and hatches faster than the first egg (A-egg). The chick hatching from the B-egg is also much more likely to survive than its sibling. Albumen corticosterone concentrations were lower in B-eggs. However, as B-eggs contained more albumen than A-eggs, the total corticosterone deposited in the albumen was not significantly different between the two eggs. Daily disturbance by human observers during albumen production did not influence albumen corticosterone levels. Laying date had an effect on total albumen corticosterone through a higher albumen mass. However, we observed a high individual component in the composition of eggs from the same clutch. Thus, more work is required to explore the hypotheses of passive versus active transfer to eggs and to understand the adaptive value of contrary effects on the amount and concentration of corticosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Poisbleau
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany.
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32
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Maternal characteristics and the production and recruitment of sons in the eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0787-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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33
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Poisbleau M, Demongin L, Trouve C, Quillfeldt P. Maternal deposition of yolk corticosterone in clutches of southern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome). Horm Behav 2009; 55:500-6. [PMID: 19232349 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2008] [Revised: 02/03/2009] [Accepted: 02/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
High corticosterone levels can have deleterious effects in developing avian embryos and chicks. Therefore, it may be adaptive for avian mothers to reduce corticosterone transfer to their eggs. However, until now, data about the active or/and passive role of mothers in corticosterone transfer to eggs are inconclusive. Here, we study maternal investment into A- and B-eggs of southern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome). This species exhibits reversed hatching asynchrony and provides a unique model to test whether there is a strategic investment in corticosterone favoring the B-chick, which is most likely to survive. We found that rockhopper penguins had the highest yolk concentrations of any wild bird species studied so far. Contrary to our expectations, B-eggs had more yolk corticosterone both in concentration and in quantity than A-eggs, independently of the laying period and the level of human disturbance. Additionally, females deposited more yolk corticosterone in their eggs when they were disturbed. However, this disturbance effect was particularly strong for A-eggs and for late-laid eggs. The present data support neither the predictions for an active regulation nor for a passive deposition, and hormone deposition mechanisms still need to be explored. The adaptive value, if any, of high yolk corticosterone is presently unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Poisbleau
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany.
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34
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James WH. The variances of the distributions of the combinations of the sexes within mammalian litters: notes to mark the centenary of the problem. J Theor Biol 2009; 259:264-8. [PMID: 19336236 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2009.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2008] [Revised: 02/19/2009] [Accepted: 03/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
It is 100 years since Gini noted that in some samples of litters of mice and rabbits, the variances of the distributions of the combinations of the sexes are sub-binomial. In other words, in contrast with binomial expectation, there are too many litters in which the sexes are equally balanced, and there are too few unisexual litters. In the intervening years, this finding has been replicated in a number of further species, but no explanation has become established. Potential explanations are reviewed here, and it is suggested that the most likely cause is that, at the time of formation of the zygotes, p, the probability that a zygote will be male, varies from one zygote to another within litters, thus constituting an example of Poisson variation. And it is a standard result in probability theory that such variation causes sub-binomial variance.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H James
- The Galton Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Wolfson House, 4 Stephenson Way, London NW 1 2 HE, UK.
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35
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Saino N, de Ayala RM, Martinelli R, Boncoraglio G. Male-biased brood sex ratio depresses average phenotypic quality of barn swallow nestlings under experimentally harsh conditions. Oecologia 2008; 156:441-53. [PMID: 18270745 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-008-0971-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2007] [Accepted: 12/10/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Sex allocation strategies are believed to evolve in response to variation in fitness costs and benefits arising from the production of either sex and can be influenced by the differential susceptibility of sons and daughters to environmental conditions. We tested the effects of manipulating brood size and the sex ratio of the nestmates and the effect of sex on the phenotypic quality of individual barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) nestlings. Brood enlargement, which results in harsh rearing conditions, negatively affected the morphology and immunity of the nestlings. However, the negative consequences of brood enlargement were more marked among male than female offspring. In enlarged but not reduced broods, high proportions of male nestmates resulted in lowered individual body mass, body condition and feather growth. Thus, the consequences of a harsh environment on individual nestlings differed between the sexes and depended on the sex ratio among the other nestlings in the brood. The evolution of sex allocation strategies may therefore depend on the sex of individual nestlings but also on an interaction between environment and progeny sex ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Saino
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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37
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Takahashi M, Arita H, Hiraiwa-Hasegawa M, Hasegawa T. Peahens do not prefer peacocks with more elaborate trains. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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38
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Helle S, Laaksonen T, Adamsson A, Paranko J, Huitu O. Female field voles with high testosterone and glucose levels produce male-biased litters. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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39
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Love OP, Wynne-Edwards KE, Bond L, Williams TD. Determinants of within- and among-clutch variation in yolk corticosterone in the European starling. Horm Behav 2008; 53:104-11. [PMID: 17961563 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2007] [Revised: 08/28/2007] [Accepted: 09/04/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Maternal glucocorticoids are known to affect offspring phenotype in numerous vertebrate taxa. In birds, the maternal transfer of corticosterone to eggs was recently proposed as a hormonal mechanism by which offspring phenotype is matched to the relative quality of the maternal environment. However, current hypotheses lack supporting information on both intra- and inter-clutch variation in yolk corticosterone for wild birds. As such, we examined variation in yolk corticosterone levels in a wild population of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Maternal condition, clutch size and nesting density were all negatively related to yolk corticosterone deposition; females with high condition indices, those laying larger clutches and those nesting in high-density associations deposited lower amounts of the hormone into eggs than those with low condition indices, laying small clutches and nesting in isolation. Alternatively, we found no effects of maternal age or human disturbance on yolk corticosterone deposition. Intra-clutch variation of yolk corticosterone was significant, with levels increasing across the laying sequence in all clutch sizes examined, with the difference between first and last-laid eggs being greater in large versus small clutches. Given the reported effects of yolk corticosterone on offspring size and growth, intra-clutch variation in yolk corticosterone has the potential to alter the competitive environment within a brood. Furthermore, our results indicate that variation in yolk corticosterone can originate from variation in both the mother's quality as well as the quality of her breeding environment. The presence of inter-female variation in particular is an important pre-requisite in testing whether the exposure of offspring to maternally-derived corticosterone is a mechanistic link between offspring phenotypic plasticity and maternal quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- O P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British, Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6.
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40
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Gil D. Chapter 7 Hormones in Avian Eggs: Physiology, Ecology and Behavior. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3454(08)00007-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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41
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Pike TW, Blount JD, Lindström J, Metcalfe NB. Dietary carotenoid availability influences a male's ability to provide parental care. Behav Ecol 2007. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arm084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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42
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Maternally derived egg yolk steroid hormones and sex determination: Review of a paradox in reptiles. J Biosci 2007; 32:1213-20. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-007-0123-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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43
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Bonier F, Martin PR, Wingfield JC. Maternal corticosteroids influence primary offspring sex ratio in a free-ranging passerine bird. Behav Ecol 2007. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arm075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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44
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45
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Lenz TL, Jacob A, Wedekind C. Manipulating sex ratio to increase population growth: the example of the Lesser Kestrel. Anim Conserv 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2007.00099.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Warner DA, Lovern MB, Shine R. Maternal nutrition affects reproductive output and sex allocation in a lizard with environmental sex determination. Proc Biol Sci 2007; 274:883-90. [PMID: 17251109 PMCID: PMC2093968 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history traits such as offspring size, number and sex ratio are affected by maternal feeding rates in many kinds of animals, but the consequences of variation in maternal diet quality (rather than quantity) are poorly understood. We manipulated dietary quality of reproducing female lizards (Amphibolurus muricatus; Agamidae), a species with temperature-dependent sex determination, to examine strategies of reproductive allocation. Females maintained on a poor-quality diet produced fewer clutches but massively (twofold) larger eggs with lower concentrations of yolk testosterone than did conspecific females given a high-quality diet. Although all eggs were incubated at the same temperature, and yolk steroid hormone levels were not correlated with offspring sex, the nutrient-deprived females produced highly male-biased sex ratios among their offspring. These responses to maternal nutrition generate a link between sex and offspring size, in a direction likely to enhance maternal fitness if large body size enhances reproductive success more in sons than in daughters (as seems plausible, given the mating system of this species). Overall, our results show that sex determination in these animals is more complex, and responsive to a wider range of environmental cues, than that suggested by the classification of 'environmental sex determination'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Warner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
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Radder R, Ali S, Shine R. Offspring Sex Is Not Related to Maternal Allocation of Yolk Steroids in the Lizard Bassiana duperreyi (Scincidae). Physiol Biochem Zool 2007; 80:220-7. [PMID: 17252518 DOI: 10.1086/510639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2006] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The eggs of birds and reptiles contain detectable levels of several steroid hormones, and experimental application of such steroids can reverse genetically determined sex of the offspring. However, any causal influence of maternally derived yolk steroids on sex determination in birds and reptiles remains controversial. We measured yolk hormones (dihydrotestosterone, testosterone, and 17 beta-estradiol) in newly laid eggs of the montane scincid lizard Bassiana duperreyi. This species is well suited to such an analysis because (1) offspring sex is influenced by incubation temperatures and egg size as well as by sex chromosomes, suggesting that yolk hormones might somehow be involved in the complex pathways of sex determination, and (2) experimental application of either estradiol or fadrozole to such eggs strongly influences offspring sex. We obtained yolk by biopsy, before incubating the eggs at a temperature that produces a 50:50 sex ratio. Yolk steroid levels varied over a threefold range between eggs from different clutches, but there were no significant differences in yolk steroids, or in relative composition of steroids, between eggs destined to become male versus female. Further, yolk steroid concentrations were not significantly related to egg size. Thus, yolk steroid hormones do not appear to play a critical role in sex determination for B. duperreyi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajkumar Radder
- School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Male sexual attractiveness affects the investment of maternal resources into the eggs in peafowl (Pavo cristatus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-006-0337-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Pike TW, Petrie M. Experimental evidence that corticosterone affects offspring sex ratios in quail. Proc Biol Sci 2006; 273:1093-8. [PMID: 16600886 PMCID: PMC1560264 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that some species of birds have a remarkable degree of control over the sex ratio of offspring they produce. However, the mechanism by which they achieve this feat is unknown. Hormones circulating in the breeding female are particularly sensitive to environmental perturbations, and so could provide a mechanism for her to bias the sex ratio of her offspring in favour of the sex that would derive greatest benefit from the prevailing environmental conditions. Here, we present details of an experiment in which we manipulated levels of testosterone, 17beta-oestradiol and corticosterone in breeding female Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) using Silastic implants and looked for effects on the sex ratio of offspring produced. Offspring sex ratio in this species was significantly correlated with faecal concentrations of the principal avian stress hormone, corticosterone, and artificially elevated levels of corticosterone resulted in significantly female-biased sex ratios at laying. Varying testosterone and 17beta-oestradiol had no effect on sex ratio alone, and faecal levels of these hormones did not vary in response to corticosterone. Our results suggest that corticosterone may be part of the sex-biasing process in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Pike
- Evolution and Behaviour Research Group, School of Biology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
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