Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Avian life history traits influence eggshell bacterial loads
T2 - a comparative analysis
AU - Manuel Peralta-Sanchez, Juan
AU - Martin-Vivaldi, Manuel
AU - Manuel Martin-Platero, Antonio
AU - Martinez-Bueno, Manuel
AU - Onate Gutierrez, Marta
AU - Ruiz-Rodriguez, Magdalena
AU - Jose Soler, Juan
PY - 2012/10
Y1 - 2012/10
N2 - Selection pressures due to parasitism play an important role in driving the evolution of life history traits of birds in general and of behaviour at the nest in particular. Eggshell bacterial load has been shown to predict hatching failure (i.e. the probability of embryo infection) but the relationships between the bacterial environment of the nest and life history characteristics of birds remain poorly investigated. We explored interspecific variation in eggshell bacterial load of mesophilic bacteria, Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae groups across 24 bird species and assessed whether bacterial load is associated with breeding traits. Interspecific variation was much higher than intra-specific variation for all measures of bacterial load even after controlling for annual variation. Thus, we were able to assess the correlation between bacterial community characteristics and life history traits. After correcting for phylogenetic effects, we found that nest type, the use of feathers or plants as lining material, and incubation behaviour explained a significant proportion of the variance in bacterial communities on eggshells. The strength of these associations depended on study year, suggesting an important role of environmental conditions for eggshell bacterial load or community. Overall, these results suggest that bacteria on eggshells are associated with bird species traits, probably because birds are mediating the deleterious effect of eggshell microbes through behavioural traits that modify bacterial load.
AB - Selection pressures due to parasitism play an important role in driving the evolution of life history traits of birds in general and of behaviour at the nest in particular. Eggshell bacterial load has been shown to predict hatching failure (i.e. the probability of embryo infection) but the relationships between the bacterial environment of the nest and life history characteristics of birds remain poorly investigated. We explored interspecific variation in eggshell bacterial load of mesophilic bacteria, Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae groups across 24 bird species and assessed whether bacterial load is associated with breeding traits. Interspecific variation was much higher than intra-specific variation for all measures of bacterial load even after controlling for annual variation. Thus, we were able to assess the correlation between bacterial community characteristics and life history traits. After correcting for phylogenetic effects, we found that nest type, the use of feathers or plants as lining material, and incubation behaviour explained a significant proportion of the variance in bacterial communities on eggshells. The strength of these associations depended on study year, suggesting an important role of environmental conditions for eggshell bacterial load or community. Overall, these results suggest that bacteria on eggshells are associated with bird species traits, probably because birds are mediating the deleterious effect of eggshell microbes through behavioural traits that modify bacterial load.
KW - bacterial community
KW - comparative approach
KW - incubation behaviour
KW - nest breeding behaviour
KW - TRANS-SHELL INFECTION
KW - EGG VIABILITY
KW - PARUS-MAJOR
KW - INCUBATION BEHAVIOR
KW - COLOR COMPOSITION
KW - PROTEIN EXTRACTS
KW - IMMUNE-RESPONSE
KW - HIRUNDO-RUSTICA
KW - ROOST SITES
KW - GREAT TIT
U2 - 10.1111/j.1474-919X.2012.01256.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1474-919X.2012.01256.x
M3 - Journal article
VL - 154
SP - 725
EP - 737
JO - Ibis
JF - Ibis
SN - 0019-1019
IS - 4
ER -