Document Detail


Corticosterone manipulations alter morph-specific nestling provisioning behavior in male white-throated sparrows, Zonotrichia albicollis.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19751738     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
In the polymorphic white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), tan-striped males provision nestlings at higher rates than do white-striped males. In a previous study, we found that tan-striped males had lower baseline corticosterone levels than white-striped males during the nestling stage. To determine if this variation in corticosterone influences morph-specific differences in nestling provisioning behavior, we used intraperitoneal osmotic pumps to increase baseline corticosterone levels in tan-striped males (TS CORT) and administer RU486, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, in white-striped males (WS RU486). These manipulations essentially reversed morph-specific nestling provisioning behavior in males. TS CORT males fed nestlings at lower rates than TS controls (vehicle-only implant), and at similar rates to WS controls (vehicle-only implant), while WS RU486 males fed nestlings at higher rates than WS controls, and at similar rates to TS controls. These results demonstrate that (1) increases in baseline corticosterone (i.e., below concentrations associated with the adrenocortical response to stress) can directly or indirectly inhibit nestling provisioning behavior, and (2) corticosterone influences morph-specific variation in parental behavior in male white-throated sparrows. This study contributes to the growing evidence that modulating baseline CORT mediates parental care and self-maintenance activities in birds, and thus may serve as a mechanism for balancing current reproductive success with survival.
Authors:
Brent M Horton; Rebecca L Holberton
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2009-09-12
Journal Detail:
Title:  Hormones and behavior     Volume:  56     ISSN:  1095-6867     ISO Abbreviation:  Horm Behav     Publication Date:  2009 Nov 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-11-09     Completed Date:  2010-02-23     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0217764     Medline TA:  Horm Behav     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  510-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, MRC 5503, Washington, DC 20003, USA. hortonb@si.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adaptation, Physiological
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Body Composition / physiology
Choice Behavior
Corticosterone / physiology*
Female
Hormone Antagonists / pharmacology
Male
Maternal Behavior
Mifepristone / pharmacology
Nesting Behavior / drug effects,  physiology*
Paternal Behavior*
Phenotype
Pigmentation
Polymorphism, Genetic / physiology
Receptors, Glucocorticoid / antagonists & inhibitors
Sparrows / physiology*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Hormone Antagonists; 0/Receptors, Glucocorticoid; 50-22-6/Corticosterone; 84371-65-3/Mifepristone

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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