Nesting Instincts of Swallows

Corticosterone stress response in tree swallows nesting near polychlorinated biphenyl- and dioxin-contaminated rivers.

We assayed baseline and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations from adult female and nestling tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, from New England, U.S.A., sites with different levels of contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Corticosterone was compared over 2 years from a highly contaminated PCB site along the Housatonic River ...

Moral Disgust and The Tribal Instincts Hypothesis

Last changes: 11/15/10 Word Count: 6776 (main text); 9803 (total w/ footnotes)

Biomarkers of exposure and effects of environmental contaminants on swallows nesting along the Rio Grande, Texas, USA.

We collected adult cave swallows (Petrochelidon fulva) and cliff swallows (P. pyrrhonota) during the breeding seasons in 1999 and 2000 from eight locations along the Rio Grande from Brownsville to El Paso (unless otherwise specified, all locations are Texas, USA) and an out-of-basin reference location. Body mass, spleen mass, hepatosomatic index (HSI), gonadosomatic index (GSI), thyroxine (T4) ...

Exposure and effects of chemical contaminants on tree swallows nesting along the Housatonic River, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA, 1998-2000.

Hatching success of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) was assessed for three years in relation to chemical contamination along the Housatonic River, Berkshire County (MA, USA), in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Nest boxes were erected at five sites along the Housatonic River and its tributaries and at one reference location. Concentrations of total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were some of the hig...

Public Policy, Human Instincts, and Economic Growth