Zebra finches bi-directionally selected for personality differ in repeatability of corticosterone and testosterone

Kraus, Sabine; Krüger, Oliver; Guenther, Anja

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104747

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…Furthermore, plasma T levels influence pigment deposition into ornaments only during the moulting period in the previous year (Kimball 2006), so the absence of the relationships between plasma T and melanin ornament or yellow chroma may also result from the low individual inter-seasonal T rank stability (undescribed in this study). Whether plasma T levels are inter-seasonally stable between moulting and breeding remains generally unknown (Kempenaers et al 2008; but see Adámková et al 2019 andKraus et al, 2020). However, we observed a positive association between T plasma levels and the brightness of the yellow plumage ornament in males.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Inter-annual repeatability and age-dependent changes in plasma testosterone levels in a longitudinally monitored free-living passerine bird

et al. 2021

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While seasonal trends in testosterone levels are known from cross-cohort studies, data on testosterone inter-annual individual repeatability in wild birds are rare. Also, our understanding of hormonal age-dependent changes in testosterone levels is limited. We assessed plasma testosterone levels in 105 samples originating from 49 repeatedly captured free-living great tits (Parus major) sampled during the nesting to investigate their relative long-term repeatability and within-individual changes. Furthermore, we examined the inter-annual repeatability of condition-related traits (carotenoid-and melanin-based plumage ornamentation, ptilochronological feather growth rate, body mass, and haematological heterophil/lymphocyte ratio) and their relationships to testosterone levels. We show that testosterone levels are inter-annually repeatable in females, with a non-significant pattern in males, both in absolute values and individual ranks (indicating the maintenance of relative status in a population). In males, we found a quadratic dependence of testosterone levels on age, with a peak in midlife. In contrast, female testosterone levels showed no age-dependent trends. The inter-annual repeatability of condition-related traits ranged from zero to moderate and was mostly unrelated to plasma testosterone concentrations. However, males with elevated testosterone had significantly higher carotenoid-pigmented yellow plumage brightness, a trait presumably involved in mating. Showing inter-annual repeatability in testosterone levels, this research opens the way to further understanding the causes of variation in condition-related traits. Based on a longitudinal dataset, this study demonstrates that male plasma testosterone undergoes age-related changes that may regulate resource allocation. Our results thus suggest that, unlike females, male birds undergo hormonal senescence similar to mammals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Inter-annual repeatability and age-dependent changes in plasma testosterone levels in a longitudinally monitored free-living passerine bird

et al. 2021

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“…2010 ; Muehlenbein and Watts 2010 ; O'Brien et al. 2018 ; Ball and Balthazart 2020 ; Kraus et al. 2020 ; Moore et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male Bowhead Whale Reproductive Histories Inferred from Baleen Testosterone and Stable Isotopes

Hunt

Buck

Ferguson

et al. 2022

Integrative Organismal Biology

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Synopsis Male mammals of seasonally reproducing species typically have annual testosterone (T) cycles, with T usually peaking during the breeding season, but occurrence of such cycles in male mysticete whales has been difficult to confirm. Baleen, a keratinized filter-feeding apparatus of mysticetes, incorporates hormones as it grows, such that a single baleen plate can record years of endocrine history with sufficient temporal resolution to discern seasonal patterns. We analyzed patterns of T every 2 cm across the full length of baleen plates from nine male bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) to investigate occurrence and regularity of T cycles and potential inferences about timing of breeding season, sexual maturation, and reproductive senescence. Baleen specimens ranged from 181–330 cm in length, representing an estimated 11 years (smallest whale) to 22 years (largest whale) of continuous baleen growth, as indicated by annual cycles in stable isotopes. All baleen specimens contained regularly spaced areas of high T content (T peaks) confirmed by time series analysis to be cyclic, with periods matching annual stable isotope cycles of the same individuals. In 8 of the 9 whales, T peaks preceded putative summer isotope peaks by a mean of 2.8 months, suggesting a mating season in late winter / early spring. The only exception to this pattern was the smallest and youngest male, which had T peaks synchronous with isotope peaks. This smallest, youngest whale also did not have T peaks in the first half of the plate, suggesting initiation of T cycling during the period of baleen growth. Linear mixed effect models suggest that whale age influences T concentrations, with the two largest and oldest males exhibiting a dramatic decline in T peak concentration across the period of baleen growth. Overall, these patterns are consistent with onset of sexual maturity in younger males and possible reproductive senescence in older males. We conclude that adult male bowheads undergo annual T cycles, and that analyses of T in baleen may enable investigation of reproductive seasonality, timing of the breeding season, and life history of male whales.

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“…To understand the evolutionary implications of testosterone levels variation its heritability needs to be assessed (Boake, 2002). Testosterone shows high individual variance, and although it varies across life-history stages and environmental and social situations (e.g., Wingfield et al, 1990), it also shows a high degree of intra-individual repeatability (Kraus et al, 2020; Liening et al, 2010; Meikle et al, 1988; Mutwill et al, 2021; While et al, 2010; but see also Kralj-Fišer et al, 2007; Pavitt et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative genetic study suggests sex-specific genetic architecture for fetal testosterone in a wild mammal

Fishman

Kralj‐Fišer

Marglit

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Testosterone plays a critical role in mediating fitness-related traits in many species. Although it is highly responsive to environmental and social conditions, evidence from several species show a heritable component to its individual variation. Despite the known effects that in utero testosterone exposure have on adult fitness, the heritable component of individual testosterone variation in fetuses is mostly unexplored. Furthermore, testosterone has sex-differential effects on fetal development, i.e., a specific level may be beneficial for male fetuses but detrimental for females. The above mentioned may lead to a different genetic structure underlying the heritability of testosterone between the sexes. Here, we used a wild animal model, the feral nutria, quantified testosterone using hair-testing and estimated its heritability between parent and offspring from the same and opposite sex. We found that in utero accumulated hair testosterone levels were heritable between parents and offspring of the same sex. However, there was a low additive genetic covariance between the sexes, and a relatively low cross-sex genetic correlation, suggesting a potential for sex-dependent trait evolution, expressed early on, in utero.

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Zebra finches bi-directionally selected for personality differ in repeatability of corticosterone and testosterone

Cited by 11 publications

References 103 publications

Inter-annual repeatability and age-dependent changes in plasma testosterone levels in a longitudinally monitored free-living passerine bird

Inter-annual repeatability and age-dependent changes in plasma testosterone levels in a longitudinally monitored free-living passerine bird

Male Bowhead Whale Reproductive Histories Inferred from Baleen Testosterone and Stable Isotopes

Quantitative genetic study suggests sex-specific genetic architecture for fetal testosterone in a wild mammal

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