1
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Lewden A, Ward C, Noiret A, Avril S, Abolivier L, Gérard C, Hammer TL, Raymond É, Robin JP, Viblanc VA, Bize P, Stier A. Surface temperatures are influenced by handling stress independently of corticosterone levels in wild king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus). J Therm Biol 2024; 121:103850. [PMID: 38608548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Assessing the physiological stress responses of wild animals opens a window for understanding how organisms cope with environmental challenges. Since stress response is associated with changes in body temperature, the use of body surface temperature through thermal imaging could help to measure acute and chronic stress responses non-invasively. We used thermal imaging, acute handling-stress protocol and an experimental manipulation of corticosterone (the main glucocorticoid hormone in birds) levels in breeding king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), to assess: 1. The potential contribution of the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis in mediating chronic and acute stress-induced changes in adult surface temperature, 2. The influence of HPA axis manipulation on parental investment through thermal imaging of eggs and brooded chicks, and 3. The impact of parental treatment on offspring thermal's response to acute handling. Maximum eye temperature (Teye) increased and minimum beak temperature (Tbeak) decreased in response to handling stress in adults, but neither basal nor stress-induced surface temperatures were significantly affected by corticosterone implant. While egg temperature was not significantly influenced by parental treatment, we found a surprising pattern for chicks: chicks brooded by the (non-implanted) partner of corticosterone-implanted individuals exhibited higher surface temperature (both Teye and Tbeak) than those brooded by glucocorticoid-implanted or control parents. Chick's response to handling in terms of surface temperature was characterized by a drop in both Teye and Tbeak independently of parental treatment. We conclude that the HPA axis seems unlikely to play a major role in determining chronic or acute changes in surface temperature in king penguins. Changes in surface temperature may primarily be mediated by the Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary (SAM) axis in response to stressful situations. Our experiment did not reveal a direct impact of parental HPA axis manipulation on parental investment (egg or chick temperature), but a potential influence on the partner's brooding behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Lewden
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; Université de Brest - UMR 6539 CNRS/UBO/IRD/Ifremer, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'environnement Marin - IUEM, Rue Dumont D'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France.
| | - Chelsea Ward
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Aude Noiret
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Sandra Avril
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Lucie Abolivier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Caroline Gérard
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Tracey L Hammer
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Émilie Raymond
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France; Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Patrice Robin
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Vincent A Viblanc
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Bize
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK; Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH-6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Stier
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France; Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000, Strasbourg, France; Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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2
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Herényi M, Markó G, Nagy G, Rosivall B, Szász E, Török J. Functional integration of multiple sexual ornaments: signal coherence and sexual selection. Am Nat 2022; 200:486-505. [DOI: 10.1086/720620] [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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3
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Douglas HD, Ermakov IV, Gellermann W. Brighter is better: bill fluorescence increases social attraction in a colonial seabird and reveals a potential link with foraging. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75. [PMID: 34840402 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03087-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Crested auklets (Aethia cristatella) are colonial seabirds with brilliant orange bills during the breeding season. We characterized the bill pigment with spectroscopy methods (resonance Raman, fluorescence, absorbance). We excluded carotenoids as a possible chromophore and showed that the pigment most closely resembles pterins. Like pterins the bill pigment fluoresces, and it occurred in two phenotypes that may differ geographically, perhaps due to environmental heterogeneity. The pigment is unique in the Genus Aethia, and its spectra did not match any known molecule. The UV-Vis absorbance spectrum of the bill pigment overlaps with the extracted pigment of euphausiids, a favored food of crested auklets. A color preference associated with prey may have favored characteristics of the crested auklet's accessory bill plates. Crest size, a signal of dominance, tended to correlate positively with highest fluorescence in the single-band phenotype. Brighter bills may function in self-advertisement and verify the status signal of the crest ornament. We tested for a behavioral preference using identical decoys that differed only in bill fluorescence. Crested auklets approached models with fluorescent bills at a higher frequency. In cases where sex of crested auklets was known, males responded at a higher frequency to fluorescent bills, but females did not. In an evolutionary context, bill fluorescence could have conferred an advantage in social interactions, e.g., in dimly lit rock crevices. Bill brightness and color may communicate success in foraging and may function as an honest signal of mate quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- H D Douglas
- Science Department, College of Community and Rural Development, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775.,Current address: Dept. Biological Sciences, Grambling State University, Grambling, LA 71245
| | - I V Ermakov
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.,Current address: Longevity Link Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
| | - W Gellermann
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.,Current address: Longevity Link Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
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4
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How king penguins advertise their sexual maturity. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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5
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Abstract
Colourful ornaments often communicate salient information to mates, and theory predicts covariance between signal expression and individual quality. This has borne out among pigment-based signals, but the potential for 'honesty' in structural coloration is unresolved. Here, I synthesized the available evidence to test this prediction via meta-analysis and found that, overall, the expression of structurally coloured sexual signals is positively associated with individual quality. The effects varied by the measure of quality, however, with body condition and immune function reliably encoded across taxa, but not age nor parasite resistance. The relationship was apparent for both the colour and brightness of signals and was slightly stronger for iridescent ornaments. These results suggest diverse pathways to the encoding and exchange of information among structural colours while highlighting outstanding questions as to the development, visual ecology and evolution of this striking adornment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2106, Australia
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6
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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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7
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Sun L, Zhou T, Stone GN, Wan QH, Fang SG. Seeing-good-gene-based mate choice: From genes to behavioural preferences. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1708-1719. [PMID: 31332779 PMCID: PMC6899946 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Although vertebrates have been reported to gain higher reproductive outputs by choosing mates, few studies have been conducted on threatened species. However, species recovery should benefit if natural mate choice could improve reproductive output (i.e. pair performance related to offspring number, such as increased clutch size, numbers of fertilized egg and fledglings). We assessed the evidence for major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐based mate preference in the endangered crested ibis (Nipponia nippon) and quantified the impacts of such choice on reproductive output. We tested the hypothesis that crested ibis advertise “good genes” through external traits, by testing whether nuptial plumage characteristics and body morphology mediate mate choice for underlying genetic MHC variation. We found differences between males and females in preferred MHC genotypes, external traits used in mate choice and contributions to reproductive outputs. Females preferred MHC‐heterozygous males, which had darker [i.e. lower total reflectance and ultraviolet (UV) reflectance] nuptial plumage. Males preferred females lacking the DAB*d allele at the MHC class II DAB locus, which had higher average body mass. DAB*d‐free females yielded heavier eggs and more fledglings, while MHC‐heterozygous males contributed to more fertilized eggs and fledglings. Fledging rate was highest when both parents had the preferred MHC genotypes (i.e. MHC‐heterozygous father and DAB*d‐free mother). Comparisons showed that free‐mating wild and semi‐natural pairs yielded more fertilized eggs and more fledglings, with a higher fledging rate, than captive pairs matched artificially based on pedigree. Conservation programmes seldom apply modern research results to population management, which could hinder recovery of threatened species. Our results show that mate choice can play an important role in improving reproductive output, with an example in which an endangered bird selects mates using UV visual capability. Despite the undoubted importance of pedigree‐based matching of mates in conservation programmes, we show that free mating can be a better alternative strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Qiu-Hong Wan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sheng-Guo Fang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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8
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Stier A, Schull Q, Bize P, Lefol E, Haussmann M, Roussel D, Robin JP, Viblanc VA. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial responses to stress exposure suggest that king penguins are naturally equipped to resist stress. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8545. [PMID: 31189949 PMCID: PMC6561961 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44990-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to unpredictable environmental stressors could influence animal health and fitness by inducing oxidative stress, potentially through downstream effects of glucocorticoid stress hormones (e.g. corticosterone) on mitochondrial function. Yet, it remains unclear whether species that have evolved in stochastic and challenging environments may present adaptations to alleviate the effects of stress exposure on oxidative stress. We tested this hypothesis in wild king penguins by investigating mitochondrial and oxidative stress responses to acute restraint-stress, and their relationships with baseline (potentially mirroring exposure to chronic stress) and stress-induced increase in corticosterone levels. Acute restraint-stress did not significantly influence mitochondrial function. However, acute restraint-stress led to a significant increase in endogenous antioxidant defences, while oxidative damage levels were mostly not affected or even decreased. High baseline corticosterone levels were associated with an up-regulation of the glutathione antioxidant system and a decrease in mitochondrial efficiency. Both processes might contribute to prevent oxidative damage, potentially explaining the negative relationship observed between baseline corticosterone and plasma oxidative damage to proteins. While stress exposure can represent an oxidative challenge for animals, protective mechanisms like up-regulating antioxidant defences and decreasing mitochondrial efficiency seem to occur in king penguins, allowing them to cope with their stochastic and challenging environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Stier
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. .,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. .,Université d'Angers, Angers, France.
| | - Quentin Schull
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Bize
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Emilie Lefol
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Mark Haussmann
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, USA
| | - Damien Roussel
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, CNRS UMR 5023, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Patrice Robin
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Vincent A Viblanc
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000, Strasbourg, France
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9
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Stier A, Schull Q, Bize P, Lefol E, Haussmann M, Roussel D, Robin JP, Viblanc VA. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial responses to stress exposure suggest that king penguins are naturally equipped to resist stress. Sci Rep 2019. [PMID: 31189949 DOI: 10.1002/10.1038/s41598-019-44990-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to unpredictable environmental stressors could influence animal health and fitness by inducing oxidative stress, potentially through downstream effects of glucocorticoid stress hormones (e.g. corticosterone) on mitochondrial function. Yet, it remains unclear whether species that have evolved in stochastic and challenging environments may present adaptations to alleviate the effects of stress exposure on oxidative stress. We tested this hypothesis in wild king penguins by investigating mitochondrial and oxidative stress responses to acute restraint-stress, and their relationships with baseline (potentially mirroring exposure to chronic stress) and stress-induced increase in corticosterone levels. Acute restraint-stress did not significantly influence mitochondrial function. However, acute restraint-stress led to a significant increase in endogenous antioxidant defences, while oxidative damage levels were mostly not affected or even decreased. High baseline corticosterone levels were associated with an up-regulation of the glutathione antioxidant system and a decrease in mitochondrial efficiency. Both processes might contribute to prevent oxidative damage, potentially explaining the negative relationship observed between baseline corticosterone and plasma oxidative damage to proteins. While stress exposure can represent an oxidative challenge for animals, protective mechanisms like up-regulating antioxidant defences and decreasing mitochondrial efficiency seem to occur in king penguins, allowing them to cope with their stochastic and challenging environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Stier
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. .,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. .,Université d'Angers, Angers, France.
| | - Quentin Schull
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Bize
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Emilie Lefol
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Mark Haussmann
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, USA
| | - Damien Roussel
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, CNRS UMR 5023, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Patrice Robin
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Vincent A Viblanc
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000, Strasbourg, France
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10
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Lemaire BS, Viblanc VA, Jozet‐Alves C. Sex‐specific lateralization during aggressive interactions in breeding king penguins. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bastien S. Lemaire
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, Université de Rennes, CNRS, EthoS UMR 6552 Caen France
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences University of Trento Rovereto Italy
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11
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Schull Q, Viblanc VA, Dobson FS, Robin JP, Zahn S, Cristofari R, Bize P, Criscuolo F. Assortative pairing by telomere length in King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) and relationships with breeding success. CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are noncoding genetic repeats protecting the ends of linear chromosomes. Long telomeres are often associated with high individual survival, and interindividual variation in telomere length has recently been proposed as a proxy for individual quality. Therefore, one might expect individuals of either sex with long telomeres to be of higher intrinsic quality and to be preferred in the context of mate choice. Thus, in sexually monomorphic species where individuals discriminate mates on the basis of signals of intrinsic quality, mate choice should lead to assortative pairing by telomere length, and it should be associated with breeding performance. We tested these two predictions in the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus J.F. Miller, 1778), a sexually monomorphic seabird. Over 3 years of study and 73 penguin pairs under contrasting environmental conditions, we found strong assortative pairing by telomere length. Interestingly, only female telomere length was positively associated to chick survival up to fledging, and this relationship was only apparent when foraging conditions at sea were average. The positive link between telomere length and breeding success confirmed that telomere length is somehow related to individual biological state at a given time. The proximate mechanisms by which birds assess individual state related to telomere length remain to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Schull
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | | | | | | | - Sandrine Zahn
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Robin Cristofari
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Bize
- University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom
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12
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Henschen AE, Whittingham LA, Dunn PO. Male stress response is related to ornamentation but not resistance to oxidative stress in a warbler. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amberleigh E. Henschen
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology GroupDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee Milwaukee WI USA
| | - Linda A. Whittingham
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology GroupDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee Milwaukee WI USA
| | - Peter O. Dunn
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology GroupDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee Milwaukee WI USA
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13
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Schull Q, Robin JP, Dobson FS, Saadaoui H, Viblanc VA, Bize P. Experimental stress during molt suggests the evolution of condition-dependent and condition-independent ornaments in the king penguin. Ecol Evol 2017; 8:1084-1095. [PMID: 29375781 PMCID: PMC5773310 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection and social selection are two important theories proposed for explaining the evolution of colorful ornamental traits in animals. Understanding signal honesty requires studying how environmental and physiological factors during development influence the showy nature of sexual and social ornaments. We experimentally manipulated physiological stress and immunity status during the molt in adult king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), and studied the consequences of our treatments on colourful ornaments (yellow‐orange and UV beak spots and yellow‐orange auricular feather patches) known to be used in sexual and social contexts in this species. Whereas some ornamental features showed strong condition‐dependence (yellow auricular feather chroma, yellow and UV chroma of the beak), others were condition‐independent and remained highly correlated before and after the molt (auricular patch size and beak UV hue). Our study provides a rare examination of the links between ornament determinism and selection processes in the wild. We highlight the coexistence of ornaments costly to produce that may be honest signals used in mate choice, and ornaments for which honesty may be enforced by social mediation or rely on genetic constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - F Stephen Dobson
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Hédi Saadaoui
- Université de Strasbourg CNRS, IPHC Strasbourg France
| | | | - Pierre Bize
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Aberdeen Scotland, UK
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14
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Stier A, Romestaing C, Schull Q, Lefol E, Robin J, Roussel D, Bize P. How to measure mitochondrial function in birds using red blood cells: a case study in the king penguin and perspectives in ecology and evolution. Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Stier
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Caroline Romestaing
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés CNRS UMR 5023 Université de Lyon Lyon France
| | - Quentin Schull
- Université de Strasbourg CNRS IPHC UMR 7178 F‐67000 Strasbourg France
| | - Emilie Lefol
- Université de Strasbourg CNRS IPHC UMR 7178 F‐67000 Strasbourg France
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke 2500 boul. de l'Université Sherbrooke QC Canada J1K 2R1
| | | | - Damien Roussel
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés CNRS UMR 5023 Université de Lyon Lyon France
| | - Pierre Bize
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
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15
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Viblanc VA, Gineste B, Robin JP, Groscolas R. Breeding status affects the hormonal and metabolic response to acute stress in a long-lived seabird, the king penguin. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 236:139-145. [PMID: 27449343 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Stress responses are suggested to physiologically underlie parental decisions promoting the redirection of behaviour away from offspring care when survival is jeopardized (e.g., when facing a predator). Besides this classical view, the "brood-value hypothesis" suggests that parents' stress responses may be adaptively attenuated to increase fitness, ensuring continued breeding when the relative value of the brood is high. Here, we test the brood-value hypothesis in breeding king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), long-lived seabirds for which the energy commitment to reproduction is high. We subjected birds at different breeding stages (courtship, incubation and chick brooding) to an acute 30-min capture stress and measured their hormonal (corticosterone, CORT) and metabolic (non-esterified fatty acid, NEFA) responses to stress. We found that CORT responses were markedly attenuated in chick-brooding birds when compared to earlier stages of breeding (courtship and incubation). In addition, NEFA responses appeared to be rapidly attenuated in incubating and brooding birds, but a progressive increase in NEFA plasma levels in courting birds suggested energy mobilization to deal with the threat. Our results support the idea that stress responses may constitute an important life-history mechanism mediating parental reproductive decisions in relation to their expected fitness outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A Viblanc
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE), 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France; CNRS, UMR7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Benoit Gineste
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE), 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France; CNRS, UMR7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Patrice Robin
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE), 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France; CNRS, UMR7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - René Groscolas
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE), 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France; CNRS, UMR7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France
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Schull Q, Dobson FS, Stier A, Robin JP, Bize P, Viblanc VA. Beak color dynamically signals changes in fasting status and parasite loads in king penguins. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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