Selection on personality in a songbird affects maternal hormone levels tuned to its effect on timing of reproduction

Ton G G Groothuis; Claudio Carere; Joe Lipar; Piet J Drent; Hubert Schwabl

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2008.0258

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Selection on personality in a songbird affects maternal hormone levels tuned to its effect on timing of reproduction

Journal article

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Selection on personality in a songbird affects maternal hormone levels tuned to its effect on timing of reproduction

Ton G G Groothuis, Claudio Carere, Joe Lipar, Piet J Drent and Hubert Schwabl

Biology letters (2005), Vol.4(5), pp.465-467

10/23/2008

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2008.0258

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/110395

PMCID: PMC2610081

PMID: 18593667

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Abstract

Gonadal Steroid Hormones - metabolism

Animals

Songbirds - genetics

Time Factors

Selection, Genetic

Female

Corticosterone - metabolism

Personality

Egg Yolk - metabolism

Oviparity

Songbirds - metabolism

The increase or decrease in yolk androgens over the laying sequence of a clutch in birds may mitigate or enhance, respectively, the disadvantage of the last-hatched chicks, providing a potentially adaptive tool to adjust brood size to food conditions. This variation may involve a genetic component on which Darwinian selection can act. We found that two lines of a wild bird species selected for bold and shy personalities show, respectively, increased and decreased androgen concentrations over the laying sequence. The line showing the increase laid earlier in the season, when food conditions are normally sufficient to raise the whole brood. The line showing the decrease laid later, when food is normally scarce, which may facilitate brood reduction. The results indicate a correlated response in maternal hormone transfer to genetic selection on personality, which relates to ecological conditions.

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Title: Selection on personality in a songbird affects maternal hormone levels tuned to its effect on timing of reproduction
Creators: Ton G G Groothuis - Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands. a.g.g.groothuis@rug.nl
Claudio Carere
Joe Lipar
Piet J Drent
Hubert Schwabl
Publication Details: Biology letters (2005), Vol.4(5), pp.465-467
Academic Unit: Biological Sciences, School of
Publisher: England
Grant note: MH-4987 / NIMH NIH HHS
Identifiers: 99900547195601842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article