Article
Ornithology
Leanne A. Grieves, Lydia Balogh, Tosha R. Kelly, Elizabeth A. MacDougall-Shackleton
Summary: Haemosporidian parasites are important global drivers of avian disease, and their infections are influenced by complex ecological and biological interactions. We studied the prevalence of three genera of haemosporidian parasites in Song Sparrows from two breeding populations and found significant variations in infection prevalence across years, seasons, and locations. We also observed sex differences in Leucocytozoon infection prevalence. Our results highlight the need for careful sampling in avian haemosporidian studies and emphasize the importance of considering ecological and biological factors in understanding the impacts of infection on bird hosts.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Keith W. Sockman, Michael Beaulieu
Summary: Despite the expectation of reduction in prevalence, individually consistent behavioural phenotypes persist in diverse populations. The life-history trade-off between current and future reproduction, combined with individual variation in age or condition, may explain this paradox.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chloe S. Mikles, Peter Arcese, Irby J. Lovette, Stepfanie M. Aguillon, Yvonne L. Chan, Phred M. Benham, Katherine Carbeck, Jennifer Walsh
Summary: Spatial variation in the environment can have significant impacts on population fitness and individual phenotype by driving natural selection and local adaptation, which can contribute to the diversity and adaptability of species at large scales. This study focused on the song sparrow subspecies complex in the San Francisco Bay region to assess the adaptive potential of different subspecies facing habitat loss and future environmental changes. By analyzing whole-genome sequences from 39 individuals, the researchers demonstrated that natural selection driven by ecological variables such as temperature and salinity plays a key role in shaping adaptive genetic variation in these song sparrows. The findings contribute valuable insights for conservation management strategies aimed at preserving population-level diversity in species with local adaptation across diverse environments.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Juan D. Zuluaga, Raymond M. Danner
Summary: This study used thermal imaging to demonstrate that acute stress and diet can influence the thermoregulatory performance of avian bills. Acute stress caused a decrease in bill surface temperature, while birds with unrestricted diets had larger bills and dissipated more heat. These findings highlight the impact of stress and diet on heat loss and thermoregulation in birds.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Samuel J. Lane, Kendra B. Sewall
Summary: Urban habitats promote territorial aggression in female song sparrows, with urban females expressing increased aggressive signaling compared to rural females. However, female aggressive signaling is not related to maternal care, suggesting no trade-off between these behaviors.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
S. K. Winnicki, B. M. Strausberger, N. D. Antonson, D. E. Burhans, J. Lock, A. M. Kilpatrick, M. E. Hauber
Summary: Studies on generalist obligate brood parasites have shown that the growth rates of these parasites differ in nests of different host species, and factors such as nesting period asynchrony, host species, numbers of nestmates, and sex of the parasite play a role in determining growth patterns. These findings confirm that avian generalist brood parasites exhibit developmental plasticity influenced by multiple social and environmental factors.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher P. Kirol, Bradley C. Fedy
Summary: Songbird communities relying on sagebrush habitat for breeding are facing population declines due to energy development. Reclamation efforts aim to mitigate impacts, but the response of sagebrush species is largely untested. Brewer's Sparrow nest survival benefits from local-scale reclamation, with sagebrush canopy cover and composition being crucial to their survival.
AVIAN CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melissa L. Grunst, Andrea S. Grunst, Rianne Pinxten, Marcel Eens
Summary: Research has shown that anthropogenic noise can have strong effects on sleep in free-living animals, reducing sleep duration and causing sleep fragmentation. Understanding the differences in effects of different noise regimes and individual sensitivities to noise is important for evaluating the impact of noise exposure.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melissa L. Grunst, Andrea S. Grunst, Rianne Pinxten, Marcel Eens
Summary: Studies have shown that urban animals may respond differently to different anthropogenic noise environments, and there are individual differences in noise sensitivity among organisms.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bert Thys, Andrea S. Grunst, Nicky Staes, Rianne Pinxten, Marcel Eens, Melissa L. Grunst
Summary: By studying the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) and behavioral traits in free-living great tits, it was found that there was no strong evidence for associations with female-female aggression and hissing behavior, but two synonymous polymorphisms were identified for hissing behavior. This study contributes to the understanding of the biological basis of complex behavioral traits and highlights the importance of considering age-dependent genotype-phenotype associations in future molecular genetic research on personality variation in natural populations.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melissa L. Grunst, Andrea S. Grunst, Rianne Pinxten, Geert Eens, Marcel Eens
Summary: Artificial light at night (ALAN) has the potential to have widespread effects on animal behavior, physiology, and fitness, which can translate into broader-scale effects on populations and communities. Understanding the effects of ALAN on free-ranging animals is non-trivial due to challenges such as measuring levels of light encountered by mobile organisms and separating the effects of ALAN from those of other disturbance factors.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea S. Grunst, Melissa L. Grunst, Thomas Raap, Rianne Pinxten, Marcel Eens
Summary: The rapid anthropogenic transformation of environments exposes organisms to various disturbance factors, such as noise pollution and artificial light at night (ALAN). This study examines the combined effects of noise pollution and ALAN on the sleep behavior of a free-living songbird, the great tit (Parus major). The results suggest that noise pollution and ALAN independently affect sleep behavior, with potential sex- and season-dependent differences.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Andrea S. Grunst, Melissa L. Grunst, David Gremillet, Akiko Kato, Paco Bustamante, Celine Albert, Emile Brisson-Curadeau, Manon Clairbaux, Marta Cruz-Flores, Sophie Gentes, Samuel Perret, Eric Ste-Marie, Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Jerome Fort
Summary: The study investigated the combined effects of multiple climate change-associated stressors on Arctic seabirds, specifically their behavior and population resilience. The results showed that changes in sea surface temperature and sea ice coverage caused shifts in activity patterns and diving behaviors, leading to decreased resting, increased flight, and longer dives. Mercury contamination was not directly associated with behavior, but highly contaminated birds showed longer interdive breaks during long dives, suggesting physiological limitations. As dive durations increased with warm sea surface temperature, subtle toxicological effects could limit diving and foraging efficiency, with potential ecosystem-wide consequences.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Melissa L. Grunst, Andrea S. Grunst, David Gremillet, Akiko Kato, Paco Bustamante, Celine Albert, Emile Brisson-Curadeau, Manon Clairbaux, Marta Cruz-Flores, Sophie Gentes, Antoine Grissot, Samuel Perret, Eric Ste-Marie, Dariusz Jakubas, Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Jerome Fort
Summary: Climate change is transforming bioenergetic landscapes and challenging animals' coping mechanisms. In the Arctic, warming temperatures are affecting the energy expenditure of Arctic seabirds, but plasticity in daily energy expenditure (DEE) currently buffers fitness against climate change. However, modeling suggests that continued warming may lead to unsustainable increases in DEE.
Review
Cell Biology
Melissa L. Grunst, Andrea S. Grunst
Summary: Animals have evolved with natural patterns of light and darkness, but exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN) interferes with their endocrine systems. This review highlights the effects of ALAN on birds and reptiles, identifies research gaps, and calls for further investigation. ALAN has been found to disrupt endocrine regulation, particularly for melatonin and reproductive hormones. However, more research is needed to understand the impact on other hormonal systems and examine molecular mechanisms. Long-term studies, intraspecific and interspecific variability, and early-life exposure effects should also be considered. The effects of ALAN on endocrine systems have important implications for individual fitness and community dynamics, especially in urban environments.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Andrea S. Grunst, Melissa L. Grunst, Jerome Fort
Summary: The potential for chemical contaminant exposure to interact with other stressors to affect animal behavioral responses to environmental variability is a growing concern. A systematic review of avian literature revealed that only 10.9% of studies explored contaminant-by-environment interactions on animal behavior, but 76.5% found evidence for interactive effects. A conceptual framework was developed to understand these interactive effects from a behavioral reaction norm perspective, highlighting four patterns in reaction norm shapes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Andrea S. Grunst, Melissa L. Grunst, Celine Arzel, Marcel Eens
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Melissa L. Grunst, Andrea S. Grunst, David Gremillet, Jerome Fort
Summary: Organisms face challenges of climate change combined with natural and anthropogenic stressors. Chemical contaminant exposure can interact with climate change, affecting bioenergetic traits in animals. We reviewed literature on Arctic endotherms and contaminants to show potential interactive effects on energy supply, demand, storage, allocation tradeoffs, and management strategies, involving changes in resource availability, temperature, predation risk, and parasitism. The interactions could be synergistic or antagonistic, and both types can have negative effects on fitness. However, empirical demonstrations, especially in endotherms, are limited. Understanding climate change-by-contaminant interactions will help determine energy balance and fitness.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Melissa Grunst, Andrea Grunst, Margarida Barcelo-Serra, Zoe Delefortrie, Lindsay M. Forrette, Elaina Tuttle, Rusty Gonser
Summary: Oscine birdsong plays important roles in species recognition, individual quality, and mate selection. However, producing an atypical song may have negative fitness effects. In this study, we observed a male White-throated Sparrow that produced an atypical song, potentially influenced by developmental stress. This male experienced stressful developmental conditions and showed smaller size compared to his siblings. As an adult, he was unsuccessful at finding a social mate or engaging in extra-pair paternity. These observations suggest a connection between developmental stress, atypical song, and fitness outcomes.
JOURNAL OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
James A. Klarevas-Irby, Damien R. Farine
Summary: Little is known about how animals overcome temporal constraints on movement during dispersal. This study used GPS tracking of vulturine guineafowl and found that dispersers showed the greatest increase in movement at the same times of day when they moved the most prior to dispersal. These findings suggest that individuals face the same ecological constraints during dispersal as they do in daily life and achieve large displacements by maximizing movement when conditions are most favorable.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Simone Ciaralli, Martina Esposito, Stefano Francesconi, Daniela Muzzicato, Marco Gamba, Matteo Dal Zotto, Daniela Campobello
Summary: Male cuckoos may transfer nest location information to females as a nonmaterial nuptial gift through specific postures and behaviors, potentially influencing mating choices of female cuckoos.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Anne E. Aulsebrook, Rowan Jacques-Hamilton, Bart Kempenaers
Summary: Accelerometry and machine learning have been used to quantify mating behaviors of captive male ruffs. Different machine learning methods were compared and evaluated for their classification performance. The study highlights the challenges and potential pitfalls in classifying mating behaviors using accelerometry and provides recommendations and considerations for future research.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Maria G. Smith, Joshua B. LaPergola, Christina Riehl
Summary: This study analyzed individual contributions to parental care in the greater ani bird and found that workload inequality varied between groups of two and three pairs. However, there was no clear evidence of division of labour within the groups, suggesting individual differences in overall work performed.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Noah M. T. Smith, Reuven Dukas
Summary: Winner and loser effects are observed in many animals, and recent experiments suggest that they may also occur in humans. In two experiments involving video games and reading comprehension, participants who won in the first phase performed significantly better in the second phase compared to those who lost. The effect size was larger in the video game experiment, and men and women showed similar magnitudes of winner and loser effects.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bianca J. L. Marcellino, Peri Yee, Shannon J. Mccauley, Rosalind L. Murray
Summary: This study examines the trade-off between mating effort and thermoregulatory behavior in dragonflies in response to temperature changes, and investigates the effect of wing melanin on these behaviors. The results indicate that as temperature increases, dragonflies reduce their mating effort and increase their thermoregulatory behavior.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rafael Rios Moura, Paulo Inacio Prado, Joao Vasconcellos-Neto
Summary: This study examined the escape behavior and decision-making of Aglaoctenus castaneus spiders on different substrates. It was found that spiders inhabiting injurious substrates displayed shorter flight initiation distances and lower sensitivity to predators.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Luigi Baciadonna, Cwyn Solvi, Francesca Terranova, Camilla Godi, Cristina Pilenga, Livio Favaro
Summary: In this study, it was found that African penguins could use ventral dot patterns to recognize their lifelong partner and nonpartner colonymates. This challenges the previous assumption of limited visual involvement in penguin communication, highlighting the complex and flexible recognition process in birds.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nick A. R. Jones, Jade Newton-Youens, Joachim G. Frommen
Summary: Environmental conditions, particularly temperature, have a significant impact on animal behavior. This study focused on aggression in Neolamprologus pulcher fish and found that aggression rates increased with temperature at lower levels, but decreased after reaching a peak. Additionally, the influence of high temperatures on aggression changed over time during the trials. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the short-term effects of temperature on aggression and highlight the importance of considering non-linear changes in thermal performance.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Bruno Herlander Martins, Andrea Soriano-Redondo, Aldina M. A. Franco, Ines Carry
Summary: Human activities have affected the availability of resources for wildlife, particularly through the provision of anthropogenic food subsidies at landfill sites. This study explores the influence of age on landfill attendance and foraging behavior in white storks. Adult storks visit landfills more frequently and show dominance over juveniles in food acquisition. Juveniles have limited access to landfill resources and are forced to use lower quality areas.