Maternal yolk testosterone in canary eggs: toward a better understanding of mechanisms and function

Müller, Wendt; Boonen, Sofie; Groothuis, Ton G. G.; Eens, Marcel

doi:10.1093/beheco/arq010

Cited by 52 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The results suggest that these chicks have a lower sensitivity to plasma testosterone, in line with the effect of yolk testosterone feminizing competitive behaviour , see also Rubolini et al 2006). However, in other species enhancing effects of yolk testosterone on androgen dependent behaviors/traits have been found (competitive behaviour: Eising et al, 2006;Müller et al, 2010;Partecke and Schwabl, 2008;Ruuskanen and Laaksonen, 2010;Schwabl, 1993;Strasser and Schwabl, 2004; nuptial plumage/secondary sexual traits Eising et al, 2006;Strasser and Schwabl, 2004; see also Müller and Eens, 2009). The latter suggests that yolk testosterone may increase the sensitivity to circulating plasma testosterone, since in some of these studies no increase in circulating plasma testosterone was found despite the fact that phenotypic changes were observed (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 57%

“…Soma et al, 2008 for a recent review and Sartor et al 2005 for evidence in canaries). Furthermore, aggression has been shown to be influenced by yolk testosterone, among other in our study species (Eising et al, 2006;Müller et al 2010;Partecke and Schwabl, 2008;Schwabl 1993;Strasser and Schwabl 2004; but see Müller et al, 2008;Ruuskanen and Laaksonen, 2010; Table 2). …”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…Thus, all eggs within a clutch received the same treatment. The injected dose elevated the testosterone levels of the first-laid eggs to the levels of the last laid eggs [first/s egg: 45.01 ± 26.57 ng/yolk, N = 14; third/fourth egg: 68.09 ± 44.16 ng/yolk, N = 11; both mean ± standard deviation, Müller et al, 2010]. We used a previously established injection protocol (Vergauwen et al, 2011).…”

Section: History Of the Experimental Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1) following a previously established procedure (Müller et al, 2010). Briefly, all birds were weighed and we selected for each focal male a body mass matched same-age non-treated male from the local population (=opponent).…”

Section: Social Dominancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Vergauwen

Groothuis

Eens

et al. 2014

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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a b s t r a c tIn the last two decades, maternally derived yolk androgens have been shown to significantly alter offspring development, and a number of these effects persist into adulthood. However, little is known about their underlying mechanisms. Mechanisms that have been suggested are changes in the endogenous androgen production post-hatching or changes in the sensitivity towards circulating androgens.We tested the effects of yolk testosterone on the plasma testosterone levels and the sensitivity to testosterone in 5 months old male canaries that hatched from eggs that were either injected with testosterone (yT-males) or with a control solution (yC-males). Changes in sensitivity were investigated via the behavioural response to an experimental elevation of the plasma testosterone levels. We performed the experiment in fall (low endogenous testosterone production), focusing on testosterone dependent response traits (aggression and song).Before implantation, there was a non-significant trend that the plasma testosterone levels were lower in yT-males than in yC-males. Elevating the plasma testosterone concentrations increased aggressiveness, song bout length and similarity of repeated song elements (=consistency), with the latter likely being a consequence of testosterone-driven song crystallization. However, these effects were not different among yT-or yC-males in any of the parameters. Thus, our findings render it unlikely that changes in the sensitivity to testosterone post-hatching would form the main underlying mechanism of hormonemediated maternal effects in birds. Further experiments are urgently needed in order to understand the nature of the phenotypic effects resulting from embryonic exposure to maternal yolk testosterone.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: History Of the Experimental Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Social Dominancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Vergauwen

Groothuis

Eens

et al. 2014

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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“…Finally, the smaller structural size of nestlings may have been due to females in the enhanced plumage brightness treatment depositing a greater concentration of testosterone in the yolks of their eggs as a result of nest-site intrusions (Whittingham and Schwabl, 2002) since they likely experienced more frequent and aggressive challenges by naturally bright females of greater competitive ability (see Chapter 3). Although elevated yolk testosterone levels have been shown to enhance the growth of nestlings in some species (Eising et al, 2001;Müller et al, 2010), negative effects on nestling structural size have also been demonstrated (Sockman and Schwabl, 2000), and the effect of androgens on nestling development may depend on the concentration deposited by the female (Muriel et al, 2015). Unfortunately, the only way to distinguish whether the effect of plumage brightness treatment on nestling quality is due to the effects of androgen deposited in egg yolks or lower provisioning rates by females would be to cross-foster nestlings among the plumage brightness treatments so that nestlings were reared by females other than their genetic mother.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of making success in female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor)

Berzins¹

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Females from a wide variety of taxa display elaborate ornaments and aggressive behaviours that are similar to those expressed by males. Although recent empirical investigation has demonstrated that ornamental traits and behaviours of females may function by attracting mates or signalling competitive ability when competing against conspecifics for access to mates and resources, less is known about how such traits influence the mating success of free-living female birds. For my research, I experimentally examined how variation in plumage brightness and behaviour of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) influenced their mating success.Plumage brightness of females had no influence on investment in parental care or mating strategies of males, or the quality of social mate paired to the female. These results suggest that bright plumage is not a signal of attractiveness preferred by male tree swallows.In contrast, I report evidence that plumage brightness of female tree swallows is involved in agonistic interactions with conspecifics. Females whose plumage brightness was enhanced to signal high quality were less able to retain their nest site than females whose plumage brightness was reduced to signal low quality. This suggests that females displaying bright plumage may be challenged by conspecifics of high quality to test the quality signalled by bright plumage, and is supported by the finding that females displaying enhanced plumage brightness suffered social costs, such as delaying breeding and producing low-quality nestlings. Despite these costs, females in the enhanced plumage brightness treatment mated with extra-pair males that were higher quality than their social mate.Behaviour of females, manipulated by elevating testosterone (T), lowered the proportion of extra-pair offspring in the broods of T-treated females. Females manipulated so that the androgenic and estrogenic actions of T were blocked also produced fewer extra-pair iii offspring, and suggest that the androgenic and/or estrogenic actions of T influence extra-pair copulation behavior of female tree swallows. In conclusion, my results show that plumage brightness and behaviour of female tree swallows influence their mating success, and highlight the importance of studies experimentally manipulating ornamental and behavioural traits of free-living female birds prior to breeding.iv

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A loss of heterozygosity, a loss in competition? The effects of inbreeding, pre‐ and postnatal conditions on nestling development

Boer

Eens

Müller

2016

Ecology and Evolution

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The early developmental trajectory is affected by genetic and environmental factors that co‐depend and interact often in a complex way. In order to distinguish their respective roles, we used canaries (Serinus canaria) of different genetic backgrounds (inbred and outbred birds). An artificial size hierarchy was created to provoke within‐nest competition, manipulating postnatal conditions. To this end, inbred birds were weight‐matched with outbred birds into duos, and each nest contained one duo of size‐advantaged, and one duo of size‐disadvantaged inbred and outbred nestlings. Prenatal (maternal) effects were taken into account also, enabling us to study the separate as well as the interactive effects of inbreeding, pre‐ and postnatal conditions on nestling development. We find that postnatal conditions were the most important determinant of early growth, with size‐advantaged nestlings growing faster and obtaining larger size/body mass at fledging in comparison with size‐disadvantaged nestlings. Prenatal conditions were important too, with birds that hatched from eggs that were laid late in the laying order obtaining a larger size at fledging than those hatched from early laid eggs. Inbreeding inhibited growth, but surprisingly this did not depend on (dis)advantageous pre‐ or postnatal conditions. Our findings imply that inbred individuals lose when they are in direct competition with same‐sized outbred individuals regardless of the rearing conditions, and we thus propose that reduced competitiveness is one of the driving forces of inbreeding depression.

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Maternal yolk testosterone in canary eggs: toward a better understanding of mechanisms and function

Cited by 52 publications

References 38 publications

Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Determinants of making success in female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor)

A loss of heterozygosity, a loss in competition? The effects of inbreeding, pre‐ and postnatal conditions on nestling development

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