Condition dependence of nestling mouth colour and the effect of supplementing carotenoids on parental behaviour in the hihi (Notiomystis cincta)

Abstract For decades, scientists have noted connections between individual condition and carotenoid-based coloration in terrestrial and aquatic animals. Organisms that produce more vibrant carotenoid-based coloration tend to have better physiological performance and behavioral displays compared to less colorful members of the same species. Traditional explanations for this association between ornamental coloration and performance invoked the need for color displays to be costly, but evidence for such hypothesized costs is equivocal. An alternative explanation for the condition-dependence of carotenoid-based coloration, the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis, was developed in response. This hypothesis proposes that red ketocarotenoid-based coloration is tied to core cellular processes involving a shared pathway with mitochondrial energy metabolism, making the concentration of carotenoids an index of mitochondrial function. Since the presentation of this hypothesis, empirical tests of the mechanisms proposed therein have been conducted in many species. In this manuscript, we review the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis and the growing number of studies that have investigated a connection between carotenoid-based coloration and mitochondrial function. We also discuss future strategies for assessing the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis to more effectively disentangle evidence that may simultaneously support evidence of carotenoid-resource tradeoffs.

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Revisiting the condition-dependence of melanin-based plumage

Journal of Avian Biology ◽

10.1111/j.1600-048x.2013.00190.x ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 29-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Sarah Guindre-Parker ◽

Oliver P. Love

Keyword(s):

Condition Dependence

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A Scientometric Approach to Review the Role of the Medial Preoptic Area (MPOA) in Parental Behavior

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11030393 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 393

Author(s):

Alessandro Carollo ◽

Jan Paolo Macapinlac Balagtas ◽

Michelle Jin-Yee Neoh ◽

Gianluca Esposito

Keyword(s):

Preoptic Area ◽

Parental Behavior ◽

Neural Substrates ◽

Medial Preoptic Area ◽

Brain Network ◽

Scientometric Analysis ◽

Parental Behaviour ◽

Scientific Papers ◽

The Relationship

Research investigating the neural substrates underpinning parental behaviour has recently gained momentum. Particularly, the hypothalamic medial preoptic area (MPOA) has been identified as a crucial region for parenting. The current study conducted a scientometric analysis of publications from 1 January 1972 to 19 January 2021 using CiteSpace software to determine trends in the scientific literature exploring the relationship between MPOA and parental behaviour. In total, 677 scientific papers were analysed, producing a network of 1509 nodes and 5498 links. Four major clusters were identified: “C-Fos Expression”, “Lactating Rat”, “Medial Preoptic Area Interaction” and “Parental Behavior”. Their content suggests an initial trend in which the properties of the MPOA in response to parental behavior were studied, followed by a growing attention towards the presence of a brain network, including the reward circuits, regulating such behavior. Furthermore, while attention was initially directed uniquely to maternal behavior, it has recently been extended to the understanding of paternal behaviors as well. Finally, although the majority of the studies were conducted on rodents, recent publications broaden the implications of previous documents to human parental behavior, giving insight into the mechanisms underlying postpartum depression. Potential directions in future works were also discussed.

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Effects of condition and sperm competition risk on sperm allocation and storage in neriid flies

Behavioral Ecology ◽

10.1093/beheco/arz178 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zachariah Wylde ◽

Angela Crean ◽

Russell Bonduriansky

Keyword(s):

Sperm Competition ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Reproductive Tract ◽

Female Reproductive Tract ◽

The Body ◽

Condition Dependence ◽

Ejaculate Size ◽

Sperm Competition Risk ◽

High Condition ◽

Allocation Strategies

Abstract Ejaculate traits can be sexually selected and often exhibit heightened condition-dependence. However, the influence of sperm competition risk in tandem with condition-dependent ejaculate allocation strategies is relatively unstudied. Because ejaculates are costly to produce, high-condition males may be expected to invest more in ejaculates when sperm competition risk is greater. We examined the condition-dependence of ejaculate size by manipulating nutrient concentration in the juvenile (larval) diet of the neriid fly Telostylinus angusticollis. Using a fully factorial design we also examined the effects of perceived sperm competition risk (manipulated by allowing males to mate first or second) on the quantity of ejaculate transferred and stored in the three spermathecae of the female reproductive tract. To differentiate male ejaculates, we fed males nontoxic rhodamine fluorophores (which bind to proteins in the body) prior to mating, labeling their sperm red or green. We found that high-condition males initiated mating more quickly and, when mating second, transferred more ejaculate to both of the female’s posterior spermathecae. This suggests that males allocate ejaculates strategically, with high-condition males elevating their ejaculate investment only when facing sperm competition. More broadly, our findings suggest that ejaculate allocation strategies can incorporate variation in both condition and perceived risk of sperm competition.

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