Effects of early incubation constancy on embryonic development: An experimental study in the herring gull Larus argentatus
نویسندگان
چکیده
1. In many birds, parental nest attendance in early incubation is variable, with eggs incubated only intermittently. The effect of this on chick hatching success is unknown. 2. We allowed clutches of a semi-precocial species, the herring gull, to experience different levels of early incubation constancy and examined the effects on embryonic development and hatching. 3. We found evidence that high early incubation constancy enabled some eggs to develop and hatch faster. Chicks that experienced high thermal constancy during early incubation had heavier body mass at hatching. 4. We discuss the factors that might constrain parental attendance early in incubation. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
منابع مشابه
Mercury trends in herring gull (Larus argentatus) eggs from Atlantic Canada, 1972-2008: Temporal change or dietary shift?
Mercury (Hg) is a pervasive contaminant that can adversely affect predatory wildlife. Bird eggs provide insights into breeding females' Hg burdens, and are easily collected and archived. We present data on Hg trends in herring gull (Larus argentatus) eggs from five sites in Atlantic Canada from 1972 to 2008. We found a significant decrease in Hg at Manawagonish Island, New Brunswick and Île du ...
متن کاملEffects of Invasive European Fire Ants (Myrmica rubra) on Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Reproduction
Various invasive ant species have negatively affected reproductive success in birds by disrupting nest site selection, incubation patterns, food supply, and by direct predation on nestlings. Impacts can be particularly severe when non-native ants colonize seabird nesting islands where thousands of birds may nest in high densities on the ground or in burrows or crevices. Here we report on the fi...
متن کامل2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran is a more potent cytochrome P4501A inducer than 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in herring gull hepatocyte cultures.
Concentration-dependent effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF), and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF) on cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) induction were determined in primary cultures of embryonic herring gull (Larus argentatus) hepatocytes exposed for 24 h. Based on the concentration that induced 50% of the maximal response (EC50), the re...
متن کاملMercury in Feathers and Blood of Gulls from the Southern Baltic Coast, Poland
Gulls were assessed as sentinels of contamination in the coastal zone of the Southern Baltic, research material being obtained from dead birds collected on Polish beaches and near fishing ports in 2009-2012. In feathers and blood of four gull species: herring gull (Larus argentatus), common gull (Larus canus), black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), and great black-backed gull (Larus ma...
متن کاملHybridization of glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) and herring gull (Larus argentatus) in Iceland: mitochondrial and microsatellite data.
Large white-headed gulls provide an interesting group of birds for studies of hybridization. The group is composed of 20 species of recent origin, often with weak reproductive barriers. Here we report the results from a study on the glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus, an Arctic species which has been breeding in Iceland for centuries, and the herring gull Larus argentatus which has a wide distribu...
متن کامل