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Bizberg-Barraza I, Rodríguez C, Drummond H. Parental overproduction allows siblicidal bird to adjust brood size to climate-driven prey variation. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae007. [PMID: 38379815 PMCID: PMC10878367 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Parental overproduction is hypothesized to hedge against uncertainty over food availability and stochastic death of offspring and to improve brood fitness. Understanding the evolution of overproduction requires quantifying its benefits to parents across a wide range of ecological conditions, which has rarely been done. Using a multiple hypotheses approach and 30 years of data, we evaluated the benefits of overproduction in the Blue-footed booby, a seabird that lays up to three eggs asynchronously, resulting in an aggressive brood hierarchy that facilitates the death of last-hatched chicks under low food abundance. Results support the resource-tracking hypothesis, as low prey abundance (estimated from sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration) led to rapid brood reduction. The insurance hypothesis was supported in broods of three, where last-hatched chicks' survival increased after a sibling's death. Conversely, in broods of two, results suggested that parents abandoned last-hatched chicks following first-hatched chicks' deaths. No direct evidence supported the facilitation hypothesis: the presence of a last-hatched chick during development did not enhance its sibling's fitness in the short or long term. The value of last-hatched offspring to parents, as "extra" or "insurance" varied with indices of food abundance, brood size, and parental age. Ninety percent of overproduction benefits came from enabling parents to capitalize on favorable conditions by fledging additional offspring. Our study provides insight into the forces driving overproduction, explaining the adaptiveness of this apparently wasteful behavior and allowing us to better predict how overproduction's benefits might be modified by ocean warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Bizberg-Barraza
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad de México, México
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Cristina Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad de México, México
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2
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McKee JL, Tompkins EM, Estela FA, Anderson DJ. Age effects on Nazca booby foraging performance are largely constant across variation in the marine environment: Results from a 5-year study in Galápagos. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10138. [PMID: 37304365 PMCID: PMC10253949 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging outcomes dictate the nutritional resources available to an organism and may vary with intrinsic factors, like age. Thus, understanding how age affects foraging performance, alone or in interaction with extrinsic factors (like environmental quality), improves our understanding of aging processes in the wild. We examined how foraging traits, measured across five breeding seasons, change with age, environmental variation, and their interaction in Nazca boobies (Sula granti), a pelagic seabird in Galápagos. We evaluated the hypotheses that (1) foraging performance is better in middle-aged birds than in young ones, and that (2) foraging performance is better in middle-aged birds than in old ones. Furthermore, favorable environmental conditions will either (3) attenuate age differences in foraging performance (by relieving constraints on young, inexperienced and old, senescent age classes), or (4) accentuate age differences (if middle-aged birds can exploit abundant resources better than other age classes can). Incubating birds tagged with GPS loggers (N = 815) provided data on foraging performance (e.g., total distance traveled, mass gained) to evaluate interactions between age and environmental variation (e.g., sea surface temperature). Poor environmental conditions associated with the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation increased foraging effort, including foraging distance and duration, for example. Across age classes, foraging boobies responded similarly to environmental variation except for female mass gain rate: age-related declines in mass gain rate were reduced under favorable environmental conditions. Birds of different ages also searched in somewhat distinct areas in the poor conditions of 2016, but not in other years. In several foraging traits, including foraging duration and distance, female boobies showed predicted early-life improvement and late-life decline, following the established pattern for reproductive traits in this species. Thus, deficits in resource acquisition (this study) may contribute to the poor survival and reproductive outcomes previously observed in old Nazca boobies, particularly in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. McKee
- Department of BiologyWake Forest UniversityWinston‐SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Emily M. Tompkins
- Department of BiologyWake Forest UniversityWinston‐SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Felipe A. Estela
- Department of BiologyWake Forest UniversityWinston‐SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y MatemáticasPontificia Universidad Javeriana – CaliValle del CaucaColombia
| | - David J. Anderson
- Department of BiologyWake Forest UniversityWinston‐SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
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3
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Humphreys JM, Srygley RB, Lawton D, Hudson AR, Branson DH. Grasshoppers exhibit asynchrony and spatial non-stationarity in response to the El Niño/Southern and Pacific Decadal Oscillations. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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4
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Wan X, Holyoak M, Yan C, Le Maho Y, Dirzo R, Krebs CJ, Stenseth NC, Zhang Z. Broad-scale climate variation drives the dynamics of animal populations: a global multi-taxa analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:2174-2194. [PMID: 35942895 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Climate is a major extrinsic factor affecting the population dynamics of many organisms. The Broad-Scale Climate Hypothesis (BSCH) was proposed by Elton to explain the large-scale synchronous population cycles of animals, but the extent of support and whether it differs among taxa and geographical regions is unclear. We reviewed publications examining the relationship between the population dynamics of multiple taxa worldwide and the two most commonly used broad-scale climate indices, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Our review and synthesis (based on 561 species from 221 papers) reveals that population changes of mammals, birds and insects are strongly affected by major oceanic shifts or irregular oceanic changes, particularly in ENSO- and NAO-influenced regions (Pacific and Atlantic, respectively), providing clear evidence supporting Elton's BSCH. Mammal and insect populations tended to increase during positive ENSO phases. Bird populations tended to increase in positive NAO phases. Some species showed dual associations with both positive and negative phases of the same climate index (ENSO or NAO). These findings indicate that some taxa or regions are more or less vulnerable to climate fluctuations and that some geographical areas show multiple weather effects related to ENSO or NAO phases. Beyond confirming that animal populations are influenced by broad-scale climate variation, we document extensive patterns of variation among taxa and observe that the direct biotic and abiotic mechanisms for these broad-scale climate factors affecting animal populations are very poorly understood. A practical implication of our research is that changes in ENSO or NAO can be used as early signals for pest management and wildlife conservation. We advocate integrative studies at both broad and local scales to unravel the omnipresent effects of climate on animal populations to help address the challenge of conserving biodiversity in this era of accelerated climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinru Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Marcel Holyoak
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, California, Davis, 95616, USA
| | - Chuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yvon Le Maho
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, 67000, France.,Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, 98000, Monaco
| | - Rodolfo Dirzo
- Department of Biology and Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305, USA
| | - Charles J Krebs
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Nils Chr Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, N-0316, Norway
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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5
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Ortega S, Rodríguez C, Drummond H. Seasonal weather effects on offspring survival differ between reproductive stages in a long-lived neotropical seabird. Oecologia 2022; 199:611-623. [PMID: 35829792 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05219-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Weather conditions can profoundly affect avian reproduction. It is known that weather conditions prior to and after the onset of reproduction can affect the breeding success of birds. However, little is known about how seasonal weather variability can affect birds' breeding performance, particularly for species with a slow pace of life. Long-term studies are key to understanding how weather variability can affect a population's dynamics, especially when extreme weather events are expected to increase with climate change. Using a 32-year population study of the Blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) in Mexico, we show that seasonal variation in weather conditions, predominantly during the incubation stage, affects offspring survival and body condition at independence. During most of the incubation period, warm sea surface temperatures were correlated with low hatching success, while rainfall in the middle of the incubation stage was correlated with high fledging success. In addition, chicks from nests that experienced warm sea surface temperatures from the pre-laying stage to near-fledging had lower body condition at 70 days of age. Finally, we show that variable annual SST conditions before and during the incubation stage can impair breeding performance. Our results provide insight into how seasonal and interannual weather variation during key reproductive stages can affect hatching success, fledging success, and fledgling body condition in a long-lived neotropical seabird.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Ortega
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04500, Mexico City, México. .,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, México.
| | - Cristina Rodríguez
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04500, Mexico City, México
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04500, Mexico City, México
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6
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Roldán-Zurabián F, José Ruiz-López M, de la Puente JM, Figuerola J, Drummond H, Ancona S. Apparent absence of avian malaria and malaria-like parasites in northern blue-footed boobies breeding on Isla Isabel. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6892. [PMID: 35477963 PMCID: PMC9046203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11075-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Haemosporidian parasites are common in birds but are seldom reported in seabirds. The absence of vectors or genetic resistance to infection have been proposed to explain this pattern. However, screening of blood parasites in many seabirds has been done only by visual inspection of blood smears, which can miss low-intensity infections, and molecular detection of blood parasites must be supported by detection in blood smears to confirm the presence of haemosporidians and avoid false positive cases. Here, we tested for the presence of blood parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, combining inspection of blood smears and PCR-based detection methods in a highly philopatric colony of blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxii) in the Tropical North Pacific. Our results indicate that adults in this colony are likely free of these blood parasites, probably due to unsuitable conditions for insect vectors in booby breeding sites, although potential genetic resistance of blue-footed boobies to infection deserves examination. Apparent absence of blood parasites in Isla Isabel boobies indirectly adds to the growing evidence of variation in parasite infections among avian host species that coexist locally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Roldán-Zurabián
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico.,Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Mexico City, 09230, Mexico
| | - María José Ruiz-López
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain.,Ciber de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez de la Puente
- Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.,Ciber de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain.,Ciber de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Sergio Ancona
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico.
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7
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Hart LA, Olivier I, Gane J, Downs CT, Brown M. Time heals: Boosted breeding seabird populations on restored Cousine Island, Seychelles. Afr J Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorinda A. Hart
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Department of Environmental Science University of Namibia Windhoek Namibia
| | - Iain Olivier
- Cousine Island Conservation Management Seychelles
| | - Julie Gane
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Cousine Island Conservation Management Seychelles
| | - Colleen T. Downs
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - Mark Brown
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg South Africa
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8
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Tompkins EM, Anderson DJ. Breeding responses to environmental variation are age- and trait-dependent in female Nazca boobies. Ecology 2021; 102:e03457. [PMID: 34166542 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Age and environment are important determinants of reproductive parameters in long-lived organisms. These factors may interact to determine breeding responses to environmental change, yet few studies have examined the environmental dependence of aging patterns across the entire life span. We do so, using a 20-yr longitudinal data set of reproductive phenotypes in long-lived female Nazca boobies (Sula granti), a monogamous seabird breeding in the eastern tropical Pacific. Young and old females may suffer from inexperience and senescence, respectively, and/or practice reproductive restraint. Breeding performance (for breeding participation, breeding date, clutch size, egg volume, and offspring production) was expected to be lower in these age classes, particularly under environmental challenge, in comparison with middle-aged breeders. Sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) represented interannual variation in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and were one proxy for environmental quality (a population count of clutch initiations was a second). Although only females lay eggs, both sexes care for eggs and nestlings, and the male partner's age, alone or in interaction with female age, was evaluated as a predictor of breeding performance. Middle-aged females performed better than young and old birds for all reproductive traits. Pairing with a young male delayed breeding (particularly for old females) and reduced clutch size, and pairing with an old male reduced offspring production. Challenging environments increased age effects on breeding probability and breeding date across young to middle ages and for offspring production across middle to old ages. However, important exceptions to the predicted patterns for clutch size and fledging success across young to middle ages suggested that trade-offs between fitness components may complicate patterns of trait expression across the life span. Relationships between breeding participation, environment, and individual quality and/or experience in young females may also contribute to unexpected patterns for clutch size and fledging success, traits expressed only in breeders. Finally, independent of age, breeding responses of female Nazca boobies to the ENSO did not follow expectations derived from oceanic forcing of primary productivity. During El Niño-like conditions, egg-laying traits (clutch size, breeding date) improved, but offspring production declined, whereas La Niña-like conditions were "poor" environments throughout the breeding cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Tompkins
- Biology Department, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - David J Anderson
- Biology Department, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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9
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Howard JL, Tompkins EM, Anderson DJ. Effects of age, sex, and ENSO phase on foraging and flight performance in Nazca boobies. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4084-4100. [PMID: 33976796 PMCID: PMC8093656 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related changes in survival and reproduction are common in seabirds; however, the underlying causes remain elusive. A lack of experience for young individuals, and a decline in foraging performance for old birds, could underlie age-related variation in reproduction because reproductive success is connected closely to provisioning offspring. For seabirds, flapping flight during foraging trips is physiologically costly; inexperience or senescent decline in performance of this demanding activity might cap delivery of food to the nest, providing a proximate explanation for poor breeding success in young and old age, respectively. We evaluated the hypothesis that young and old Nazca boobies (Sula granti), a Galápagos seabird, demonstrate deficits in foraging outcomes and flight performance. We tagged incubating male and female adults across the life span with both accelerometer and GPS loggers during the incubation periods of two breeding seasons (years), during the 2015 El Niño and the following weak La Niña. We tested the ability of age, sex, and environment to explain variation in foraging outcomes (e.g., mass gained) and flight variables (e.g., wingbeat frequency). Consistent with senescence, old birds gained less mass while foraging than middle-aged individuals, a marginal effect, and achieved a slower airspeed late in a foraging trip. Contrary to expectations, young birds showed no deficit in foraging outcomes or flight performance, except for airspeed (contingent on environment). Young birds flew slower than middle-aged birds in 2015, but faster than middle-aged birds in 2016. Wingbeat frequency, flap-glide ratio, and body displacement (approximating wingbeat strength) failed to predict airspeed and were unaffected by age. Sex influenced nearly all aspects of performance. Environment affected flight performance and foraging outcomes. Boobies' foraging outcomes were better during the extreme 2015 El Niño than during the 2016 weak La Niña, a surprising result given the negative effects tropical seabirds often experience during extreme El Niños.
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10
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Ortega S, Rodríguez C, Mendoza-Hernández B, Drummond H. How removal of cats and rats from an island allowed a native predator to threaten a native bird. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02533-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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11
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Sauve D, Friesen VL, Charmantier A. The Effects of Weather on Avian Growth and Implications for Adaptation to Climate Change. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.569741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is forecasted to generate a range of evolutionary changes and plastic responses. One important aspect of avian responses to climate change is how weather conditions may change nestling growth and development. Early life growth is sensitive to environmental effects and can potentially have long-lasting effects on adult phenotypes and fitness. A detailed understanding of both how and when weather conditions affect the entire growth trajectory of a nestling may help predict population changes in phenotypes and demography under climate change. This review covers three main topics on the impacts of weather variation (air temperature, rainfall, wind speed, solar radiation) on nestling growth. Firstly, we highlight why understanding the effects of weather on nestling growth might be important in understanding adaptation to, and population persistence in, environments altered by climate change. Secondly, we review the documented effects of weather variation on nestling growth curves. We investigate both altricial and precocial species, but we find a limited number of studies on precocial species in the wild. Increasing temperatures and rainfall have mixed effects on nestling growth, while increasing windspeeds tend to have negative impacts on the growth rate of open cup nesting species. Thirdly, we discuss how weather variation might affect the evolution of nestling growth traits and suggest that more estimates of the inheritance of and selection acting on growth traits in natural settings are needed to make evolutionary predictions. We suggest that predictions will be improved by considering concurrently changing selection pressures like urbanization. The importance of adaptive plastic or evolutionary changes in growth may depend on where a species or population is located geographically and the species’ life-history. Detailed characterization of the effects of weather on growth patterns will help answer whether variation in avian growth frequently plays a role in adaption to climate change.
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12
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Champagnon J, Lebreton JD, Drummond H, Anderson DJ. Pacific Decadal and El Niño oscillations shape survival of a seabird. Ecology 2019; 99:1063-1072. [PMID: 29714830 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding and modeling population change is urgently needed to predict effects of climate change on biodiversity. High trophic-level organisms are influenced by fluctuations of prey quality and abundance, which themselves may depend on climate oscillations. Modeling effects of such fluctuations is challenging because prey populations may vary with multiple climate oscillations occurring at different time scales. The analysis of a 28-yr time series of capture-recapture data of a tropical seabird, the Nazca Booby (Sula granti), in the Galápagos, Ecuador, allowed us to test for demographic effects of two major ocean oscillations occurring at distinct time-scales: the inter-annual El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and inter-decadal oscillations. As expected for a tropical seabird, survival of fledgling birds was highly affected by extreme ENSO events; by contrast, neither recruitment nor breeding participation were affected by either ENSO or decadal oscillations. More interesting, adult survival, a demographic trait that canalizes response to environmental variations, was unaffected by inter-annual ENSO oscillations yet was shaped by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and small pelagic fish regime. Adult survival decreased during oceanic conditions associated with higher breeding success, an association probably mediated in this species by costs of reproduction that reduce survival when breeding attempts end later. To our knowledge, this is the first study suggesting that survival of a vertebrate can be vulnerable to a natural multidecadal oscillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn Champagnon
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70275, México DF, 04510, México.,CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France.,Institut de Recherche de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France
| | - Jean-Dominique Lebreton
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70275, México DF, 04510, México
| | - David J Anderson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27109, USA
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13
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Jones BC, DuVal EH. Direct and indirect effects of the El Niño Southern Oscillation on development and survival of young of a tropical passerine. Oecologia 2019; 190:485-496. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04418-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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14
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Kalberer S, Meise K, Trillmich F, Krüger O. Reproductive performance of a tropical apex predator in an unpredictable habitat. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2521-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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15
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González-Medina E, Castillo-Guerrero JA, Herzka SZ, Fernández G. High quality diet improves lipid metabolic profile and breeding performance in the blue-footed booby, a long-lived seabird. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193136. [PMID: 29462199 PMCID: PMC5819808 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the role of diet in the physiological condition of adults during reproduction and hence its effect on reproductive performance is fundamental to understand reproductive strategies in long-lived animals. In birds, little is known about the influence of the quality of food consumed at the beginning of the reproductive period and its short-term effects on reproductive performance. To assess the role of diet in the physiological condition of female blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii (BFBO), during reproduction we evaluated whether individual differences in diet (assessed by using δ13C and δ15N values of whole blood from female birds and muscle tissue of the principal prey species) prior to egg laying and during incubation influenced their lipid metabolic profile (measured as triglyceride levels and C:N ratio) and their reproductive performance (defined by laying date, clutch size and hatching success). Females with higher δ15N values in their blood during the courtship and incubation periods had a higher lipid metabolic profile, earlier laying date, greater clutch size (2-3 eggs) and higher hatching success. Females that laid earlier and more eggs (2-3 eggs) consumed more Pacific anchoveta (Cetengraulis mysticetus) and Pacific thread herring (Opisthonema libertate) than did other females. These two prey species also had high amounts of lipids (C:N ratio) and caloric content (Kcal/g fresh weight). The quality of food consumed by females at the beginning of reproduction affected their physiological condition, as well as their short-term reproductive performance. Our work emphasizes the importance of determining the influence of food quality during reproduction to understand the reproductive decisions and consequences in long-lived animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick González-Medina
- Posgrado de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, México D.F., Mexico
- * E-mail: (GF); (EGM)
| | - José Alfredo Castillo-Guerrero
- CONACYT- –Universidad de Guadalajara, Departamento de Estudios para el Desarrollo Sustentable de la Zona Costera, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, San Patricio– Melaque, Municipio de Cihuatlán, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Sharon Zinah Herzka
- Departamento de Oceanografía Biológica, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Baja California, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Fernández
- Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mazatlán, Mexico
- * E-mail: (GF); (EGM)
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Ancona S, Zúñiga-Vega JJ, Rodríguez C, Drummond H. Experiencing El Niño conditions during early life reduces recruiting probabilities but not adult survival. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:170076. [PMID: 29410788 PMCID: PMC5792865 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In wild long-lived animals, analysis of impacts of stressful natal conditions on adult performance has rarely embraced the entire age span, and the possibility that costs are expressed late in life has seldom been examined. Using 26 years of data from 8541 fledglings and 1310 adults of the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii), a marine bird that can live up to 23 years, we tested whether experiencing the warm waters and food scarcity associated with El Niño in the natal year reduces recruitment or survival over the adult lifetime. Warm water in the natal year reduced the probability of recruiting; each additional degree (°C) of water temperature meant a reduction of roughly 50% in fledglings' probability of returning to the natal colony as breeders. Warm water in the current year impacted adult survival, with greater effect at the oldest ages than during early adulthood. However, warm water in the natal year did not affect survival at any age over the adult lifespan. A previous study showed that early recruitment and widely spaced breeding allow boobies that experience warm waters in the natal year to achieve normal fledgling production over the first 10 years; our results now show that this reproductive effort incurs no survival penalty, not even late in life. This pattern is additional evidence of buffering against stressful natal conditions via life-history adjustments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Ancona
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - J. Jaime Zúñiga-Vega
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Cristina Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
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17
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Ortega S, Sánchez-Macouzet O, Urrutia A, Rodríguez C, Drummond H. Age-related parental care in a long-lived bird: implications for offspring development. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2364-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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18
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Chilvers BL. Comparison of New Zealand’s little blue penguins, Eudyptula minor, diving behaviour. Polar Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2112-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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19
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Hart LA, Downs CT, Brown M. Sitting in the sun: Nest microhabitat affects incubation temperatures in seabirds. J Therm Biol 2016; 60:149-54. [PMID: 27503727 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
During incubation parent birds are committed to a nest site and endure a range of ambient conditions while regulating egg temperatures. Using artificial eggs containing temperature loggers alongside ambient temperature (Ta) controls, incubation profiles were determined for four tropical seabird species at different nest site locations. Camera traps were used for ad-hoc behavioural incubation observations. Eggs experienced a range of temperatures during incubation and varied significantly between species and in some cases between different microhabitats within a species. Such variation has important consequences in the phenotypic expression of both physical and physiological traits of chicks, and ultimately species fitness. Exposed nest sites were more strongly correlated to Tas. Camera traps highlighted different incubation strategies employed by these species that could be related to trade-offs in predator defence, feeding habits, and temperature regulation of eggs. This study provides evidence that species with similar breeding habits could be affected by environmental stressors in similar ways and that the differences shown in nest site selection could negate some of these effects. We propose that habitats providing suitable nest microclimates will become increasingly important for the successful breeding of seabird species, particularly under predicted climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorinda A Hart
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Colleen T Downs
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
| | - Mark Brown
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
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20
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Beaumont LJ, Duursma D, Kemp DJ, Wilson PD, Evans JP. Potential impacts of a future persistent El Niño or La Niña on three subspecies of Australian butterflies. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linda J. Beaumont
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Daisy Duursma
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Darrell J. Kemp
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Peter D. Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; NSW 2109 Australia
| | - Jason P. Evans
- Climate Change Research Centre and ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science; University of New South Wales; Randwick NSW 2052 Australia
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21
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Kiere LM, Drummond H. Female infidelity is constrained by El Niño conditions in a long-lived bird. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:960-72. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lynna Marie Kiere
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Instituto de Ecología; UNAM; Apartado Postal 70-275, Circuito Exterior s/n anexo al Jardín Botánico Exterior Ciudad Universitaria México D.F. 04510 Mexico
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Instituto de Ecología; UNAM; Apartado Postal 70-275, Circuito Exterior s/n anexo al Jardín Botánico Exterior Ciudad Universitaria México D.F. 04510 Mexico
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22
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Leal GR, Serafini PP, Simão-Neto I, Ladle RJ, Efe MA. Breeding of White-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus) in the western South Atlantic. BRAZ J BIOL 2016; 76:559-67. [PMID: 27097095 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.16514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Basic information on natural history is crucial for assessing the viability of populations, but is often lacking for many species of conservation concern. One such species is the White-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus (Mathews, 1915). Here, we address this shortfall by providing detailed information on reproductive biology, distribution and threats on the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, Brazil - the largest colony of P. lepturus in the South Atlantic. We assessed reproduction from August 2011 to January 2012 by monitoring tropicbird nests and their contents. A population estimate was obtained through a combination of active searches for nests and by census at sea between 2010 and 2012. Breeding success was calculated by traditional methods. The growth curve of chicks and life table were also calculated. Additional information on nest and mate fidelity and on age of breeding birds was obtained from the banded birds. Our results indicate that the unusual nest form (limestone pinnacles) and predation by crabs may be responsible for the observed patterns of hatching and fledging success. Although the Fernando de Noronha population appears to be stable (at between 100-300 birds), a long term monitoring program would be desirable to assess fluctuations in this globally important population. Conservation strategies should focus on controlling predation by land crabs and tegu lizards.
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Affiliation(s)
- G R Leal
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió AL , Brazil, Bioecology and Conservation of Neotropical Birds Lab., Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde - ICBS, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFAL, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro dos Martins, CEP 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil
| | - P P Serafini
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa para a Conservação das Aves Silvestres, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Florianópolis SC , Brazil, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa para a Conservação das Aves Silvestres - CEMAVE, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBio, Rodovia Maurício Sirotsky Sobrinho, s/n, Km 02, Jurerê, CEP 88053-700, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - I Simão-Neto
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa para a Conservação das Aves Silvestres, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Florianópolis SC , Brazil, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa para a Conservação das Aves Silvestres - CEMAVE, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBio, Rodovia Maurício Sirotsky Sobrinho, s/n, Km 02, Jurerê, CEP 88053-700, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - R J Ladle
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió AL , Brazil, Conservation Biogeography Lab., Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde - ICBS, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFAL, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro dos Martins, CEP 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil.,School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford , UK, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - M A Efe
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió AL , Brazil, Bioecology and Conservation of Neotropical Birds Lab., Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde - ICBS, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFAL, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro dos Martins, CEP 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil
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23
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Regulation of breeding expenditure in the blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii : an experimental approach. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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24
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Ancona S, Jaime Zúñiga-Vega J, Rodríguez C, Carmona-Isunza MC, Drummond H. Recruiting age influences male and female survival and population persistence in a long-lived tropical seabird. Evol Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-015-9781-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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25
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Sánchez-Macouzet O, Rodríguez C, Drummond H. Better stay together: pair bond duration increases individual fitness independent of age-related variation. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2013.2843. [PMID: 24827435 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prolonged pair bonds have the potential to improve reproductive performance of socially monogamous animals by increasing pair familiarity and enhancing coordination and cooperation between pair members. However, this has proved very difficult to test robustly because of important confounds such as age and reproductive experience. Here, we address limitations of previous studies and provide a rigorous test of the mate familiarity effect in the socially monogamous blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii, a long-lived marine bird with a high divorce rate. Taking advantage of a natural disassociation between age and pair bond duration in this species, and applying a novel analytical approach to a 24 year database, we found that those pairs which have been together for longer establish their clutches five weeks earlier in the season, hatch more of their eggs and produce 35% more fledglings, regardless of age and reproductive experience. Our results demonstrate that pair bond duration increases individual fitness and further suggest that synergistic effects between a male and female's behaviour are likely to be involved in generating a mate familiarity effect. These findings help to explain the age- and experience-independent benefits of remating and their role in life-history evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Sánchez-Macouzet
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, México D.F., 04510, Mexico
| | - Cristina Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, México D.F., 04510, Mexico
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, México D.F., 04510, Mexico
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Kiere LM, Drummond H. Extrapair behaviour reveals flexible female choosiness and mixed support for classic good genes in blue-footed boobies. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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27
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Age-dependent effects of carotenoids on sexual ornaments and reproductive performance of a long-lived seabird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1628-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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28
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Ancona S, Drummond H. Life history plasticity of a tropical seabird in response to El Niño anomalies during early life. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72665. [PMID: 24023760 PMCID: PMC3762811 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2012] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Food shortage and other challenges associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) experienced early in life may have long-term impacts on life history traits, but these potential impacts remain virtually unexplored. By monitoring 2556 blue-footed boobies from 11 cohorts, we showed that birds facing warm water ENSO conditions (and probably low food availability) in the natal year were underweight at fledging, recruited earlier and bred less frequently, but showed no deficit in longevity or breeding success over the first 10 years. Life history impacts of ENSO were substantial when experienced in the prenatal year, the natal year, or the second year of life, and absent when experienced in the third year of life, implying that harsh conditions have greater effects when experienced earlier in life. Sexual differences in impacts depended on the age when warm water conditions were experienced: pre-natal and natal experience, respectively, induced early recruitment and influenced the relationship between age and laying date only in females, whereas second year experience reduced total breeding success only of males. Most surprising were positive transgenerational impacts in females: daughters of females that experienced ENSO conditions in their natal year showed improved breeding success. Developmental plasticity of boobies thus enables them to largely neutralize potential long-term impacts of harsh climatic conditions experienced early in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Ancona
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, México
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, México
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Morales J, Torres R, Velando A. Safe betting: males help dull females only when they raise high-quality offspring. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1261-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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30
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Drummond H, Rodríguez C, Oro D. Natural 'poor start' does not increase mortality over the lifetime. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 278:3421-7. [PMID: 21450729 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor nutrition and other challenges during infancy can impose delayed costs, and it has been proposed that expression of costs during adulthood should involve increased mortality rather than reduced reproduction. Demonstrations of delayed costs come mostly from experimental manipulations of the diet and hormones of captive infants of short-lived species, and we know very little about how natural poor starts in life affect wild animals over their lifetimes. In the blue-footed booby, sibling conflict obliges younger brood members to grow up suffering aggressive subordination, food deprivation and elevated stress hormone, but surviving fledglings showed no deficit in reproduction over the first 5-10 years. A study of 7927 individuals from two-fledgling and singleton broods from 20 cohorts found no significant evidence of a higher rate of mortality nor a lower rate of recruitment in younger fledglings than in elder fledglings or singletons at any age over the 20 year lifespan. Development of boobies may be buffered against the three challenges of subordination. Experimental challenges to neonates that result in delayed costs have usually been more severe, more prolonged and more abruptly suspended, and it is unclear which natural situations they mimic.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, México 04510 DF, Mexico.
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