Article
Biology
Ivana Schoepf, Sarena Olson, Ignacio T. Moore, Frances Bonier
Summary: Hosts with long coevolutionary history with parasites often assume negligible fitness costs of chronic infection. However, experimental manipulation of infections reveals effects of parasites on hosts during reproduction. In this study, the authors found that reducing haemosporidian infections in red-winged blackbirds resulted in significant benefits to mothers and their offspring.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Michael P. Lombardo, Patrick A. Thorpe, Sango Otieno, Dan Weglarz, Alyssa Hawker
Summary: The study revealed that the initial investment a female bird makes in an offspring by producing eggs can have important evolutionary consequences for both the female and her offspring. Interestingly, the hatched eggs weighed significantly more than those that did not hatch, and egg weight increased with its position in the laying sequence. Additionally, there was low narrow sense heritability of egg mass between mother and daughter.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chi Yen Tseng, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul M. Dummer, Natalie Karouna-Renier, Cole W. Matson
Summary: A multi-omics approach was used to assess the effects of chemical mixtures in the Maumee River on biological responses and functions. The study identified altered gene expression related to cell growth and cell cycle regulation, as well as upregulation of lipogenesis genes. The study highlights the potential health risks associated with increased pollutant concentrations in the river.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Natascha Wosnick, Renata Daldin Leite, Eloisa Pinheiro Giareta, Danny Morick, Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis
Summary: This study aims to characterize the energy transfer from parental organisms to offspring in Brazilian Guitarfish through the analysis of energy markers in parental fluids. The results indicate that these markers are being made available to the offspring, possibly as complementary sources of energy. This research sheds light on the metabolic dynamics during reproduction stage in Elasmobranchs.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
K. J. MacLeod, L. Naugle, M. C. Brittingham, J. D. Avery
Summary: This study investigated the effects of gas compressor noise on juvenile tree swallows, finding that the predicted impacts did not occur, highlighting the significant variability in noise effects on juvenile birds.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Anik P. Obomsawin, Gabriela F. Mastromonaco, Marty L. Leonard
Summary: The study found that exposure to noise did not alter nestling stress physiology or immune function overall, but light nestlings raised in noise showed lower baseline plasma and integrated feather corticosterone levels than heavier nestlings, indicating different physiological responses to anthropogenic stimuli. Additionally, light nestlings in larger broods had reduced immune responses, which were associated with higher levels of baseline plasma and feather corticosterone. These findings suggest that noise can affect the stress physiology of developing birds, but the effects may be influenced by developmental conditions and other environmental stressors.
GENERAL AND COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Carina Bodden, Anthony J. Hannan, Amy C. Reichelt
Summary: Unhealthy lifestyles and mental health problems are increasingly prevalent globally, with diet playing a significant role in influencing offspring brain development and behavior, potentially predisposing children to mental health issues. Evidence suggests that parental diet can program infant metabolism and neurobehavioral function, with implications for mental health and resilience. Additionally, the microbiota-gut-brain axis has been identified as a key mediator of host physiology, highlighting the impact of parental lineage on offspring gut health and neurobiology.
TRENDS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Daniel R. Garrett, Fanie Pelletier, Dany Garant, Marc Belisle
Summary: The historical rise of intensive agriculture is believed to contribute to the decline of grassland and aerial insectivorous birds. This study found that agro-intensive landscapes have lower provisioning rates for nestlings, leading to potential negative effects on bird populations.
Article
Zoology
Daniel R. Garrett, Stephane Lamoureux, Sebastien Rioux Paquette, Fanie Pelletier, Dany Garant, Marc Belisle
Summary: The decline of avian aerial insectivores, primarily caused by climate change and agricultural intensification, is exacerbated by cold snaps and the negative effects of agricultural landscapes on nestling growth and body condition.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Caroline J. Wolfe-Merritt, Lilly E. Hartman, Evelyn M. Barragan, Brenna M. Hellman, Samuel Pigott, Adriana Rodriguez-Ferraro, Wendy P. Tori
Summary: The diversity of feathers used as nesting materials by Tree Swallows is greater than previously reported, with the birds being generalist feather collectors whose choice of feathers is influenced by availability in the surrounding environment.
WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Jesus Gomez, Christy A. Morrissey, Sonia Cabezas, Tracy A. Marchant, Robert G. Clark
Summary: The study found differences in body condition and telomere lengths between nestlings raised on cropland and grassland, with telomere lengths tending to be shorter in nestlings from enlarged broods and at cropland sites. Corticosterone levels were not related to any factor.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sophie M. Dupont, Christophe Barbraud, Olivier Chastel, Karine Delord, Charline Parenteau, Colette Trouve, Frederic Angelier
Summary: The presence of parents in the nest can reduce offspring stress sensitivity in wild birds by providing protection, delivering meals, improving nutritional status, and potentially offering psychosocial comfort.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Tara L. Imlay, Hilary A. R. Mann, Andrew C. Ding, Peter Thomas, Rebecca M. Whittam, Marty L. Leonard, Qing Zhao
Summary: Swallow populations in the Canadian Maritimes have been declining since the 1980s. This study investigated the survival rates of four swallow species and their relationships with weather, climate, and other environmental factors. The results suggest that weather conditions that favor high insect availability are important for swallow survival.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Carla B. Madelaire, Lucas A. Zena, Danielle Dillon, Diego P. Silva, Kathleen E. Hunt, C. Loren Buck, Kenia C. Bicego, Fernando R. Gomes
Summary: The immune response of hibernating tegu lizards is influenced by various factors including body temperature, gonadal steroids, and seasonality. Higher body temperature is positively correlated with immune activity. Peaks in gonadal hormones can lead to increases in certain immune indicators, while the total number of leukocytes is higher at the beginning of the reproductive season.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Haruna Sakamoto, Daisuke Aoki, Shingo Uemura, Masaoki Takagi
Summary: Negative relationships between the degree of parental investment and the presence of unrelated offspring in the nest due to extra-pair paternity (EPP) or conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) are predicted in monogamous species. This study examined the relationship between parental care and EPP or CBP in a semi-colonial Eurasian Tree Sparrow population. The results showed a negative relationship between male parental care and EPP, while CBP was linked to male parental investment.
ORNITHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(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.