TY - JOUR

T1 - Hatching asynchrony can have long-term consequences for offspring fitness in zebra finches under captive conditions

AU - Mainwaring, Mark C.

AU - Blount, Jonathan D.

AU - Hartley, Ian R.

PY - 2012/6

Y1 - 2012/6

N2 - Hatching asynchrony can have profound short-term consequences for offspring, although the long-term consequences are less well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term consequences of hatching asynchrony for offspring fitness in birds. Specifically, we aimed to test the hypothesis that hatching asynchrony increases the sexual attractiveness and fecundity, respectively, of early-hatched male and female zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata (Vieillot, 1817) offspring. Mate-choice trials comparing male nestlings with the same parents, but that were reared in asynchronous or experimentally synchronous broods, revealed no female preference in relation to hatching regime. We did however find strong evidence that, as adults, late-hatched males were more attractive to females than siblings that had hatched earlier. Meanwhile, we found a weak trend towards early-hatched females depositing more carotenoids and retinol in the egg yolk than late-hatched or synchronously hatched females, although there were no differences in terms of clutch characteristics or the deposition of a-tocopherol or ?-tocopherol in the egg yolk. Therefore, we found that the beneficial long-term consequences of hatching asynchrony were sex specific, being accrued by late-hatched male nestlings and by early-hatched female nestlings. Consequently, we conclude that the long-term consequences of hatching asynchrony are more complex than previously realised. (c) 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 106, 430438.

AB - Hatching asynchrony can have profound short-term consequences for offspring, although the long-term consequences are less well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term consequences of hatching asynchrony for offspring fitness in birds. Specifically, we aimed to test the hypothesis that hatching asynchrony increases the sexual attractiveness and fecundity, respectively, of early-hatched male and female zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata (Vieillot, 1817) offspring. Mate-choice trials comparing male nestlings with the same parents, but that were reared in asynchronous or experimentally synchronous broods, revealed no female preference in relation to hatching regime. We did however find strong evidence that, as adults, late-hatched males were more attractive to females than siblings that had hatched earlier. Meanwhile, we found a weak trend towards early-hatched females depositing more carotenoids and retinol in the egg yolk than late-hatched or synchronously hatched females, although there were no differences in terms of clutch characteristics or the deposition of a-tocopherol or ?-tocopherol in the egg yolk. Therefore, we found that the beneficial long-term consequences of hatching asynchrony were sex specific, being accrued by late-hatched male nestlings and by early-hatched female nestlings. Consequently, we conclude that the long-term consequences of hatching asynchrony are more complex than previously realised. (c) 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 106, 430438.

KW - GROWTH TRADE-OFFS

KW - zebra finch

KW - TAENIOPYGIA-GUTTATA

KW - MARTINS DELICHON-URBICA

KW - GREAT TITS

KW - EGG-SIZE

KW - BROOD REDUCTION

KW - PASSERINE BIRD

KW - SEX

KW - female offspring fecundity

KW - WILD

KW - carotenoid

KW - male offspring attractiveness

KW - NEONATAL NUTRITION

U2 - 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01868.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01868.x

M3 - Journal article

VL - 106

SP - 430

EP - 438

JO - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

JF - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

SN - 0024-4066

IS - 2

ER -