Variation in Plasma Oxidative Status and Testosterone Level in Relation to Egg-Eviction Effort and Age of Brood-Parasitic Common Cuckoo Nestlings

The condor

Rita Hargitai¹ 

关键词: antioxidant capacity;    brood parasitism;    eviction behavior;    oxidative stress;    plasma testosterone;   

DOI  :  10.1525/cond.2012.110166

学科分类：动物科学

来源: Central Ornithology Publication Office

【 摘 要 】

Abstract. To avoid competition for parental care, brood-parasitic Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) nestlings evict all of the host's eggs and nestlings within a few days after hatching. Little is known about the physiological effects of eviction behavior on the cuckoo nestling's oxidative balance or about age-related variation in plasma oxidative status and testosterone level of developing birds. We examined whether the cuckoo nestling's plasma oxidative status was related to prior effort in eviction and quantified variation in the level of reactive oxygen metabolites, of nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity, and of testosterone concentration in plasma at various phases of the cuckoo's development. Levels of both reactive oxygen metabolites and antioxidant capacity were greater in older than in younger nestlings, suggesting that younger nestlings effectively counterbalance their increased production of free radicals, whereas, near fledging, levels of reactive oxygen metabolites increase despite improved antio...

【 授权许可】

CC BY