Breeding

Fantastic to see that my photo “Breeding” showing a pair of Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) has been runner-up in the category “Behaviour” of the Royal Society Publishing Photography competition 2017 and has been highly commended at BMC ecology image competition 2017.

Released in BBC and in The Guardian

 

Oxidative stress reduces song rate in subordinate individuals

Work on ‘honest signalling’ has been a major area of research in animal behaviour and evolutionary ecology in recent decades. Honest signals accurately reflect individual quality, which depends on various interacting factors, such as foraging capability and also functionality of the hormonal and immune systems. In recent times, it has been suggested that dysfunctional regulation of the oxidative balance (resulting in oxidative stress) might be a significant handicap for the expression of sexual signals in low quality individuals. The term ‘oxidative stress’ describes a state where oxidative damage to body tissues increases because oxidising molecules, which are mostly a by-product of metabolism, exceed the body’s level of antioxidant defences, and thus are free to react with molecules like lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. This study examined experimentally for the first time whether a state of oxidative stress influences song behaviour in male starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Males were injected with a substance that reduces specifically the synthesis of a key cellular antioxidant called glutathione. Treated subordinate males suffered increased oxidative damage, while treated dominant males did not. Treated subordinate males also reduced their song rate. On the other hand, treated dominant males did not suffer any reduction in song rate. This study therefore provides experimental support for the hypothesis that acoustic signals may honestly convey information about the individual’s oxidative status and capacity to regulate its oxidative balance, raising the possibility of hitherto unexplored impacts of oxidative stress on fitness traits in social species.

Chatting

My image ‘Chatting’ has been selected as the Overall Runner-up of the BES Photographic Competition 2016.

Oxidative stress changes how female birds make decisions

The term ‘oxidative stress’ describes a state where oxidative damage to body tissues increases because oxidising molecules, which are mostly a by-product of metabolism, exceed the body’s level of antioxidant defences, and thus are free to react with molecules like lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. Such body deterioration may also in turn influence future investment in reproduction if it results in reduced fertility or changes in hormonal status. The recent article “Experimental evidence that oxidative stress influences reproductive decisions” published in Functional Ecology examined experimentally for the first time whether a state of oxidative stress influences reproductive decisions (when and how many eggs to lay) and reproductive success (hatching and fledging success, number of hatchlings and fledglings produced) in females of a songbird (canary, Serinus canaria). Those females whose oxidative stress level was increased delayed the start of egg laying and laid significantly smaller clutches than those females whose oxidative stress level was not increased. However, reproductive success was similar between control and stressed females. This study provides a rare insight into the cellular mechanisms that constrain reproductive decisions under female control in a vertebrate.

Oxidative stress and herpes virus

Congratulations to Manrico on getting his first article accepted for publication in Current Zoology. The article is already online and will be published in 2016. Very good also considering that Current Zoology will be published by Oxford University Press since 2016, which should increase its visibility.